


Inescapable

by jelindsay



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anxiety Attacks, Bullying, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Panic Attacks, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:22:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 52
Words: 80,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29290539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jelindsay/pseuds/jelindsay
Summary: Draco and Harry are paired as partners for the whole year. They soon learn it's just gonna make things worse to be angry all the time, so they soon become friends, or rather, acquaintances. But not without awkwardness. Little did they know things will get a lot more awkward between them.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

Draco's POV:

Draco walked into potions, head held high as usual. "Hello, Mr. Malfoy." Professor Snape says to him without expression.

"Hello, Professor," Draco replies nonchalantly. 

"You're quite early today." Professor Snape points out.

Draco feels slightly annoyed. "Yep." He replies simply.

Professor Snape looks past him with a frown, "Mr. Potter..."

Draco grunts. 'Great, now I have to deal with him.' He thinks with a feeling of dread. He loves potions, it's his whole life other than Quidditch! But coming to class brings him dread. He loves Snape, of course, he is the only one who understands him! He just always feels so sad, he can't quite explain it. Nothing makes him happy, no matter how much he loves it. Unless, of course, it involves ruining Harry Potter's day. That gave him the most joy, the only joy in his life ever. 

"Didn't have your girlfriend, Potter?" Draco teases, "Why you here so early, huh?"

Harry ignores him, getting out his materials as people slowly find their way into the classroom. Draco feels himself boil up inside. How dare he ignore a Malfoy! He's gonna get it this time. 

The students begin to file in and as Harry opens up his fresh bottle of ink, Draco sends a spell his way, making the ink cover Harry's fresh parchment and cover his robes. Draco hadn't noticed his friends sitting with him until he heard their chuckles from either side of him.

Harry looks back at Draco with a glare. "What's your damn problem, Malfoy?!" Harry retorts. 

"Oh, is little golden boy upset?" Draco gives him a pout mockingly and the Slytherins all laugh. A feeling of pride rises in Draco's body and he smirks.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Ron speaks up.

"Here comes the little Weasel to save his boyfriend." Draco teases.

"Jealous, Malfoy?" Ron teases back.

Draco feels a pang of fear, but why? It's not like that's even remotely true. "No, just stating the facts," Draco smirks.

Ron gives him a glare along with Harry. Draco simply smirks and turns around. 

Professor Snape's nasally, eerie voice spoke up soon after, "Alright... Dumbledore has decided to make a change in the school. There will be students chosen to be partners in every class with the use of magic, of course... There will be no chance of changing your partners, it's a magically binding contract for you both to be partners for the year regardless of how you think about it... So I suggest you all deal with what you get. Now, we will begin to choose the names now." 

Without a warning, Professor Snape silently does a spell. As a result, a crumpled up piece of paper falls onto his desk. He picks it up and reads it. "Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." He says emotionlessly. Draco hears a sigh of relief from Ron behind him. Another paper is thrown at the Professor. "Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini." In response, Pansy and Blaise high five. "Neville Longbottom and Gregory Goyle." A whimper is heard from Neville and a grunt from Goyle. 

The next set of names was truly a shock, very unpleasant to say the least. Even more unpleasant than Neville and Goyle's pairing. "Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter." The room goes silent and Draco's eyes go wide, his heart beating faster than ever and his chest burning hot with anger. He tries to stay silent all he can as to not lose house points. But Harry Potter, of course, opened up his big stupid mouth.

"No way! You can't--"

Snape cuts him off, "Twenty points from Gryffindor! Next time listen when I say the pairing is binding. There is no need to negotiate, Mr. Potter. In fact, it's highly ignorant." Snape turns back to his desk reading the next pairing, but Draco couldn't listen. He had to deal with that insufferable prat all year.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco's POV:

"I can't believe you got paired up with him!" Pansy squeals.

Draco rolls his eyes at her annoying voice. "Yeah me neither, we get it it's terrible. Can I enjoy lunch without being reminded of it?! Thank you." Draco finishes with a fake smile.

Pansy looks down in defeat. "I mean at least it wasn't Longbottom." Goyle speaks up.

"No one cares, Goyle," Draco says angrily.

"I could cheer you up, Draco... We could go on a date..." Pansy suggests happily.

"I've told you no many times. Now leave me alone." Draco felt fed up with all of them. He could never stand them, but his father would be upset if he were to break off those friendships. Of course, it's only because that's how his father keeps up his prestige. Without those connections, his family would be nothing. His father reminds him every single year. 

Pansy scoffs and gets up, leaving the great hall. Everyone looks at him in either shock, disgust, or confusion. He just didn't care anymore. If his father wouldn't cut off his inheritance and possibly disown him, he'd tell every one of them to piss off. He felt a pair of eyes on him and he looks around, his grey eyes meeting a pair of green ones. Harry Potter... For god's sake.

Draco gives the boy a hard glare, but all the other does is look at him. What's his damn problem?! Draco gets up and walks over to the Gryffindor table with confidence and determination. "If you wanna get through this year, Potter, I suggest you look elsewhere," Draco tells him promptly before strutting out of the great hall, his robes gently moving with him. 

He walks quickly and gracefully toward the dungeons. "Holly berries." He says clearly and the door to the common room opens immediately. He strides in to find Pansy sobbing in front of the fireplace. She stops as soon as she sees Draco.

He pushes past her and up to his dorm, not once looking back at Pansy. He falls into his mattress, staring up at the ceiling, wishing he could just be alone forever. It's not like his friends actually care, they only like his father's money. Even he only likes himself for his father's money. But who could blame him, it's the only thing his father would give him other than a good shouting at and a look of intimidation. Though he should probably just try being better at what his father asks of him, and he tries! But every time he just gets worse at it and his father just gets angrier.

"Draco?" Goyle speaks, coming into the door room.

"What?" Draco replies emotionlessly.

"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts again soon... We have to get to class." Goyle reminds him.

"I know that..." He replies irritably. Goyle rolls his eyes in response and opens his trunk. Grabbing his books for his next classes, and walking out. Draco sighs and soon does the same, walking in silence to his classroom as the other students chat noisily around him. 

He enters the classroom and sees four words written on the board ahead. 'Sit with your partners.' This day can't get any better! Draco strides over to where Harry was sitting, making his presence known by loudly moving his chair and speaking. "This will be exciting, huh Potter?" Draco smirks at his sarcasm.

"Will you shut up?" Harry asks through his teeth.

"I don't think I will... Why are you upset?" Draco mocks Harry with a soft voice. 

Harry sighs in anger but proceeds in silence, which makes Draco upset. "Oh, he can't think of a comeback," Draco says with a fake frown. Yet, Harry still ignores him. "Cat got your tongue, Potter?" Draco says a little quieter this time, "Or am I just getting under the chosen ones oh so holy skin?" 

"Shut up, you're pathetic," Harry says, making Draco smirk.

"I am, aren't I?" Draco says softly but confidently.

"Do you have nothing better to do, Malfoy? I said shut up. Can you even hear?!" Harry remarks.

"Oh! Good one!" Draco says sarcastically and smirks. "You think I'd listen to an oaf like you?" 

Harry scoffs in response as Professor Lupin begins the lesson. "Alright, today we will be working on making a Patronus. Can anyone tell me what that is?" Lupin asks.

As usual, Hermione's hands shoots up in the air. "Yes, Ms. Granger?" Lupin asks.

"A Patronus is a charm that is individual to and unique to everyone. It's used to drive away dementors and is conjured by remembering a very happy memory and saying 'Expecto Patronum'." Hermione says.

"Very good! Ten points to Gryffindor." Lupin smiles and continues on. Draco rolls his eyes. Gryffindor gets it all, huh? "Now, don't feel upset if you can't get it at the first try, not everyone can. It takes many tries and a lot of practice. Who wants to try first?"

"I will!" says Pansy Parkinson, stepping up towards the front of the classroom happily. 

"Great! Now all you have to do is think of your happiest memory and point your wand right in front of you and say very clearly 'Expecto Patronum'. Got it?" Pansy nods to Lupin and she begins.

"Expecto Patronum!" Pansy shouts, but nothing happens. She looks down at her shoes. 

"That's alright! You'll learn. Anyone else?" Lupin asks the class.

Neville nervously raises his hand. "Come up, Neville," Lupin says with a smile. Neville slowly makes his way to the front and stands in silence for a little. 

"Expecto Patronum!" Neville shouts, but instead of a Patronus, a big gust of wind shoots out of his wand, breaking a couple of glasses along with it and throwing papers all over the room. Quite a lot of students chuckle until Lupin tells them to stop.

"You need to concentrate more. The wand doesn't control you, you control it." Lupin says to Neville. 

"Thanks, Professor," Neville says softly, walking back to his desk with his head down. 

"Harry!" Lupin shouts, making Harry look up. "Why don't you come up here?" Draco rolls his eyes once again. Of course, Harry needs a moment of glory. 

Harry walks to the front of the classroom slowly, looking back from his classmates to Professor Lupin. "Go on, Harry," Lupin says.

Harry takes a deep breath and raises his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" As Draco expected to happen, a bright blue light pours out of his wand, making the class gasp and Draco rolled his eyes once more. A stag struts around the classroom, running past Draco only inches apart, making him jump a little. 

"Well done!" Lupin says cheerfully as the stag disappears into the wall. All the Gryffindors cheer while the Slytherins stay silent. 

As Harry comes to sit down, Draco speaks up. "Way to show-off, Potter." He spits.

"Oh, get over yourself," Harry remarks. 

"That's quite a hypocritical sentence for you, huh Potter?" Malfoy smirks. 

"Says the person who claimed themselves as royalty since day one when really, no one knows him and he's nothing but a pathetic excuse for a wizard," Harry smirks back.

Draco's eyes go wide and he raises his fist, punching Harry right in the mouth. "You're a pathetic excuse for a son." His father's words ring through his head and he punches Harry again and again. Harry soon gets enough strength to throw Malfoy off of him and charge towards him, fist balled up tightly. 

"Harry!" Lupin shouts. Harry doesn't listen, he just hits Malfoy over and over until his nose bleeds. "For Merlin's sake!" Lupin shouts, sending a spell their way and hurling them across the floor away from each other. All the students sit in shock, staring down at the two boys with the blood running out of their noses.

"Headmaster's Office, now!" Lupin shouts, grabbing them both by their robes and dragging them out of the classroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco's POV:

After being healed by Madam Pomfrey, Draco and Harry sat silently in front of Professor Dumbledore. "I am highly disappointed in you two," Dumbledore says calmly. Both boys stare at their shoes. Draco has always said he hated Dumbledore, but now sitting in front of him, he is a lot more intimidating than he thought. It's not that he's done anything to put that thought in Draco's head, he's just such a calm, collected old man, that it almost freaks Draco out. "I expected you two to be mature enough to get through this year together. You both had great potential to cooperate with each other at the very least. Especially you, Harry." Dumbledore says almost sadly. 

"We apologize, Professor," Harry speaks up. 'We?!' Draco asks himself.

"No, you apologize, Harry. Draco hasn't said a word." Dumbledore says, peering at Draco with his pale blue eyes. Draco tenses up. "No need to feel threatened. I'm here to help you, not harm you, Draco." Dumbledore gives him a smile.

Draco hugs himself and stares at Dumbledore's wooden desk. "Now, what happened exactly? And no arguing, speak one at a time and let the other speak their truth." Dumbledore says. 

Harry and Draco looked at each other as if asking each other silently who should go first. Harry decides to go first. "Well, we were making our Patronus's and after I did mine, I sat back down and Draco called me a show-off and..." Harry gulps and rubs the back of his neck. "I called him a pathetic excuse for a wizard... Then he started punching me and then I punched him back..." Harry finishes, blushing heavily from embarrassment. 

"Ah... Draco, do you have another story?" Dumbledore asks. Draco shakes his head in response. "Very well... Well, both of you were in the wrong in this, that's for sure. First of all, Draco apologize to Harry." Dumbledore says. 

Draco looks at Harry with a grimace, feeling like he was in first-year again. He took a gulp. "H-Harry? I-I'm... So-Sorry?" It felt weird calling him Harry and it surely felt weird saying sorry to anyone.

"Draco, say it like you mean it," Dumbledore says with a smile.

"I'm sorry... H-Harry..." Draco finishes nervously. 

"Good, now, Harry apologize to Draco," Dumbledore demands. 

"Mal-Draco, I'm... Sorry." Harry finishes looking uncomfortable. 

"Great. Just be lucky I didn't make you do that in front of everyone. But if this happens again, I surely will." Dumbledore says with a grin. 

"Yes, Professor," Harry speaks. 

"Now, Harry go on along, I want to speak to Draco." Draco's heart pounds as Dumbledore finishes his sentence. Harry gets up promptly and almost leaves running. "Well Draco, I've never talked to you before. Would you like a cup of tea?" Dumbledore asks.

His voice cracks, "S-sure." He clears his throat and stays silent.

"Accio teapot," Dumbledore says, pointing his wand at his desk. A teapot appears right in front of him and he takes two teacups and begins to pour the tea. "Here you go." Dumbledore pushes a teacup toward Draco and he sips it nervously. "You may be wondering why I kept you here... Well, I know you have been very upset recently and I know what Harry said must have hurt you." 

Draco looks at him with a cocked eyebrow. "But... But you didn't... Keep Harry here..."

"No, I didn't. Harry can handle criticism, plus I speak to him quite a lot. You are a different story. I don't know you much, but I know your father. I know he must be hard on you." Dumbledore says, taking a sip of his tea.

Draco looks at the floor, fiddling with his teacup. "Draco, no matter what anyone makes you do, you be yourself."

"Huh?" Draco said on instinct. "Why are you telling me that?"

"Just trust me. Sometimes the hard decision is the right decision. Don't always take the easy route. It'll be scary, but it's the right thing to do." Dumbledore finishes, making Draco give him a confused stare. Dumbledore simply chuckles. "Alright, you may go now."

Draco stands up to leave but is stopped once again. "And Draco, if you ever want to stay here for holidays, you may," Dumbledore says with a smile.

Draco's eyes soften and he gives the Professor a nod before walking out. 'He's just trying to get you on his side.' Draco tells himself, 'He wouldn't actually help you, no one would.'

Draco bumps into someone and they both fall on the ground. "Sorry, I-- Potter!" Draco stands up quickly and sneers at the raven-haired boy on the ground. "This is your fault you--"

"Draco!" Harry says, making Draco look at him in shock. "Look, we will get expelled if we fight like this anymore and we have to be partners for the whole year! Can we please just at least be respectful to each other?! We don't have to be friends because I wouldn't want that any more than you would. But please, for the love of Merlin, can we just get along?! Just for this year at the very least, please?!" Harry pleads.

Draco stares at him in wonder, not knowing what to say. Harry sighs and straightens out his glasses, standing up, and beginning to leave. "Potter!" Draco shouts at him.

"What?" Harry asks with a sigh.

"Fine..." Draco says, making Harry raise an eyebrow.

"Fine, what?" 

"Fine... Fine, we can try to get along..." Draco says, making Harry smile a little. "But don't get all weird and try to be my friend."

"Of course not. Why would I even want that a little bit?!" Harry retorts. Draco gasps which makes Harry smirk. "Come on, we gotta go to class."

"Don't tell me what to do, Potter!" Draco shouts, walking quickly past Harry into his next class: Transfiguration.

"Now--Mr. Malfoy! Care to explain--Mr. Potter?! Oh, good grief! I demand to know why you two are late!" Professor McGonagall demands.

"Professor, we had to go speak to Professor Dumbledore," Harry says confidently. 

Professor McGonagall sighs. "Very well, take a seat." Harry and Draco take a seat beside each other. They managed to agree to transfigure a quill into a frog without making too much of a scene. The frog took a liking to Draco, so he decided to take it with him. By the end of the day, Draco had a pet frog named Aristotle and two full classes of not having to compete with the famous Harry Potter. He was actually quite happy.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco's POV:

The next morning everyone received their owls from their parents. Draco was no exception. He opened up the letter to reveal his father's neat handwriting. His eyes searched for the Malfoy crest and they landed right on it. 'What new hidden message does he have now?' Draco asks himself. He hopes it isn't anything bad, even though he knows it is. Draco leaves the Great Hall and enters an empty bathroom. 

Draco points his wand to his father's letter, not bothering to read the letter before. "Revelio." He says and words appear, disappear, and rearrange to their rightful places. The letter reads:

"Dear Draco,

We have very important business to attend to this weekend, me and you. The dark lord is ready to accept you and it is your time to wear the dark mark just like a true Malfoy. Be ready and do not embarrass us.

\- Lucius"

Of course, his father never called himself Draco's father, he wouldn't dare! He's embarrassed them too much to be their son. But, maybe, just maybe if he goes through with this he will be accepted from them once again. That's all that matters, right? Plus, it's not too bad anyway. This is the way it's supposed to be. This is the right way to live. 

Draco reminds himself what his father told him to do when he receives a letter of this sort: burn it. "Incendio." Draco says, the paper burning in his hand. 

"Draco?" Goyle appears behind him, making Draco jump.

"Dammit, Goyle!" Draco sends a curse his way, it barely missing Goyle. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Goyle shouts.

"Leave!" Draco shouts, Goyle scattering away instantly. 

***

"Now, we will be continuing the practice on the Patronus charm today." Professor Lupin says to the class. "Since Harry did it yesterday, why doesn't Draco come up and do it?" 

Draco sighs but gets up anyway, making his way to the front of the class. "Remember, think of your happiest memory." Professor Lupin reminds.

Draco thinks and thinks, but all he can think of to try is the time his mother gave him new robes. "Expecto Patronum," Draco says nonchalantly. Nothing happens. 

"Try it again, but with more voice," Lupin advises. Draco raises his wand once more and tries again.

"Expecto Patronum!" Draco shouts... Nothing. Nothing at all. He looks down, feeling shameful. 

"We'll practice more later," Lupin says, giving Draco a smile and a pat on the back. He goes to sit down, not once looking up at anyone. He can practically hear his father screaming at him about how he's practically a squib, a horrible wizard, a disgrace... the weakest Malfoy ever known to date. He'll never do it right.

"Malfoy?" Harry whispers from beside him. 

Draco jumps and gives him a glare. "What?' 

"Are you alright?" He whispers. 

"You're asking me if I'm alright? I told you not to be weird, Potter." Draco turns his head back to the front of the class, ignoring Harry's annoyed sigh. 

Once his father knows he failed something he'll be upset. Of course, he may try to help him, but then Draco would fail again and again and finally his father would get fed up and call him stupid and throw curses at him, seeing how he could dodge them. In the meanwhile, he calls him weak for not blocking the spells quick enough. He wants to be what his father wants: a perfect wizard who knows all the spells without having to be taught much, doing it with ease. He never will, though. This school teaches him nothing! 

"Draco?" Lupin speaks up. 

Draco's head snaps up, the room feeling oddly empty. "Huh?" 

"It's time to go..." Lupin says. Well, this explains the emptiness. He looks around the classroom to see nothing but empty desks. How long did he zone out for? 

"Right..." Draco stands up, putting his bag over his shoulder, and grabs his things, leaving the classroom as soon as he could. If he keeps acting like this, people will know. He has to be stronger than this. He could hide everything else, why can't he hide this better?! 

He bumps into someone and his things scatter all over the floor. Draco grunts in annoyance. Oh no, it's even worse... It's Harry Potter he ran into. He knows he promised to be nicer, but that doesn't mean he can't hate him in silence. 

"Sorry, Draco," Harry says confidently.

Draco gives him an eyebrow raise. He felt weird inside all of the sudden. "Call me Malfoy, Draco is weird coming from you..." He trails off.

"Right. Sorry, Malfoy." Harry says simply, grabbing his books and handing them to him.

"Uh... Thanks?" Draco questions. He shouldn't be nervous. Who is he becoming?! A wimp, that's it. "But really I'm not as helpless as I look, Potter." He spat his words at Harry, feeling slightly guilty. His stomach began to turn.

"Great..." Harry replies sarcastically. Draco awkwardly put his books back in his bag. "See you later, yeah?" Harry asks.

"Sure..." Draco replies, dropping his head in shame for both his weakness and his rudeness. 

Draco watches Harry walk away, feeling as if Harry just beat him in a duel in front of everyone. He suddenly feels as if he's going to scream. He runs into the nearest boy's bathroom, running into a stall and hiding. Just like at home, always finding a small little place to hide. He never knew why he felt the need to hide, all his father did was judge him and he only hit him with curses once. He's just a baby, isn't he? A weak, disgraceful, failure of a son. He'll never grow, will he? 

"I know what it's like to sob..." Moaning Myrtle says from the stall beside him.

Draco touches his cheeks, feeling that they're wet. He wipes his eyes quickly. "I'm not! Now go away you disgusting creep." He insults. 

Moaning Myrtle screams, "How dare you?!" 

"Oh just get back at me then why don't you! See if I care!" Draco shouts. There is a moment of silence. "Oh, can Ms. Myrtle not get revenge? Boohoo. Go the hell away."

"Harry's right, you are rude!" Myrtle retorts. 

"Like I give a damn what Harry thinks." Draco spits but feels a pang in his chest. The sudden urge to scream comes back and he feels a teardrop on his face.

"Your face says otherwise." Myrtle giggles. 

"It's not Harry you dumb mud-blood!" Draco shouts. Myrtle gasps. A sudden crash is heard and water fills the bathroom. "Bloody hell!" Draco screams, running as fast as he can out of the bathroom, getting his robes and pants soaked in the process. 

"I'll get you, Draco Malfoy!" Myrtle shouts after him as he falls into the hallway.

Stumbling and threatening to fall over, he runs to the common room. "Holly berries!" He shouts, the door opening slowly and Draco bounces impatiently. He runs in as soon as he can. 

Giggles could be heard as soon as he entered. "Yeah-- Draco?" Pansy says from the left corner of the room. She walks towards him quickly. "Oh baby--"

"Don't fucking call me that." Draco pushes her away from him and runs up to his dorm. How many times does he have to say he doesn't want her?! He grabs fresh clothes and runs to the bathrooms. He has a quick shower and changes, sighing in relief. 

He falls onto his bed afterward, feeling exhausted. Tomorrow he has to get the dark mark. This is it.


	5. Chapter 5

Draco's POV:

He walked into Borgin and Burkes that Hogsmeade weekend, sighing heavily before he walked to the back, meeting the cold glare of his father.

"Draco, finally." Father lifts up his sleeve and reveals his dark mark. He points his wand right at it. A sudden fear washes over him. He wasn't prepared for this. 

He hears a thump behind him and an eerily quiet voice say, "Draco... Glad to see you following your father's footsteps." He turns around and almost chokes. He knew he wouldn't look like daisies and sunshine, but bloody hell. "You fear me..." Voldemort smiles softly. "No need for that, Draco. Come here." 

He gulps and hesitantly walks toward him. He slowly raises his left sleeve. Without warning, he points his wand to the arm and a stabbing pain is sent through his veins, making him grunt in pain. Slowly, almost as if black ink was running over his arm, the dark mark made its way into his skin. 

"It is done." Voldemort smiles. It took everything inside him not to grimace at his chilling smile. It didn't help that he was also trying to hide the throbbing sting coming right from the mark. He honestly thought he'd have to go through more than just this, but he didn't. Should that worry him?

"Now, every death eater gets an assignment to prove their loyalty," Voldemort says gently, not failing to give him another chill. For once he wishes that someone, Voldemort exactly, would speak to him angrily like his father. "If you fail, great consequences will be in store." Of course, there was another part of the initiation... 

"What is the assignment, my lord?" Father asks.

"The pest Dumbledore... kill him."

***

He went back to Hogwarts feeling defeated. He thought everything would be okay once he had done what father wanted. It isn't okay. Nothing is okay. He may be a prat but he's not a damn killer. But he said he had to, or great consequences would be in store. 

His frantic walking was stopped by a hard thump into another person... Harry Potter. "Dammit, Potter, do you know how to bloody walk right?!" He shouts.

"You walked into me you-- You're a pain in the arse, ya know?" Draco gives him a glare. "I try to make amends and you continue to be an insufferable spoiled little prat. Fuck you, Malfoy." 

"I'm spoiled?! You don't know a damn thing about me!" Draco shouts.

"Then what were all those brags about daddy's money about?" Harry steps towards him. "What, do you have a sad pathetic life, wasting away in a dark dingy bedroom sleeping on a lumpy mattress?!" Closer. "Does your daddy not give you enough hugs? Oh sad, poor little Draco." He was right in his face. He wanted to punch him square in his nose, but he didn't. He actually felt quite nervous. "You're pathetic." 

He wanted to push him away, get him out of his face but he was frozen. How did he get such emerald eyes? Is that even humanly possible? "Cat got your tongue, ferret?" Harry smirks. "Watch who you talk to like that." And with that, he stomps away. 

He couldn't help but stand there, his heart pounding in his chest. He's not scared of Harry Potter, is he? No, Malfoy's never do that. The image of his bright green eyes and smirk pop into his head. He should be disgusted, but honestly, he's not. I kinda wish he kissed me. What the hell?!

Maybe he's just sleep-deprived... That's it. He's not actually attracted to him, he's just stressed out and tired. Nothing is wrong with him. 

Everything is fine. He has never been and never will be attracted to Harry Potter, or any guy for that matter. He is a Malfoy! Malfoy's are not gay. 

However, the thoughts wouldn't stop. It was making him crazy. Is he really this fucked up?


	6. Chapter 6

Draco's POV:

He walked to potions the next day in a hurry, didn't quite know why. He sat in his seat alone, not even the teacher was here. He didn't sleep at all last night, so he just decided to stay awake. It's not too bad, actually. 

"Draco, you're early." Professor Snape points out.

"Yes." He replies softly, opening his bag to take out his quill and ink. 

"Mr. Potter... What a delight." Snape says sarcastically. 

At the mention of his rival, his heart speeds up. He kept begging for it to calm down, but it wouldn't. As soon as he dropped his bag on the ground beside Draco, they made eye contact. That only made his nerves crazier. 

He quickly shifted his gaze back to his desk. "Hey, Malfoy..." He hears beside him.

"Huh?" He says nervously, trying his hardest to keep his eyes on his desk.

"Just wanted to say hello," Harry says. 

"Hi." He replies in the softest most childish voice ever. So much for acting all manly and scary. 

"You alright?" Harry asks.

"Yes, yes I'm fine." He gulps. Seriously, what the bloody hell was wrong with him? 

Apologize, Draco. You should apologize. He should, shouldn't he? No, that's weakness... But he didn't do anything. Right?

"Harry... I mean! I mean um Potter..." He says nervously. 

"Yes?" Harry asks with a confused expression.

"Well, I'm sorry about... Yesterday. You didn't do anything I was just... Not having a good day. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I always do and it's wrong." He says looking right into his eyes. It made him nervous, but he needed him to know he was genuine. 

"Um... Thanks, Draco... Or Malfoy... Whatever you wanna be called." Harry says and shortly after he gives him a small smile.

Stop! He is a boy and so are you stop feeling all jittery and happy! But damn, his smile is great. "I'm... Glad you accept the apology. Uh, good morning by the way." 

"Good morning," Harry says with a smile. 

Soon the class fills with the other students. Oddly enough, him and Harry worked pretty well together this time. It was kinda nice. 

"Can you hand me the rose thorns and moonstone?" Harry asks. Draco does exactly that and he gives him thanks.

I wonder what I'll smell after it's finished. "When you are finished, if done correctly, the potion will be a pearly pink color," Snape says.

Their potion turns pink slowly then shines like a pearl. He smiles at their victory and Snape comes over to look at their finished product.

"Very well, boys. This here is a perfect amortentia." Snape says. "Twenty points to Slytherin." 

"Wait, Professor, Harry did most of the work." He says. The room goes quiet. 

"Five points to Gryffindor then..." Snape says, walking away before he can protest.

"Uh..." Draco stares at his desk.

"It's fine, at least Snape is consistent." Harry giggles at his comment. 

"Now boys, what do you smell," Snape asks.

Draco leans in to take a whiff. It was hypnotizing, he almost forgot to speak. "I... I smell wood, broom polish, grass, and... Something else. I can't quite get." He says.

Harry leans in to smell next. "Vanilla, fresh laundry, and... Ink?" Harry says. He then looks down at his desk with his eyes wide. 

Harry keeps glancing at him. It's freaking him out. Maybe he has something on his face? 

"Draco, what cologne do you wear?" Harry asks.

"Huh?" Draco feels a heavy blush hit him.

"It's just I might wanna wear it... Ya know... Uh." Harry's cheeks turn red.

"Well, uh, it's from Louis Vellios. He only made one cologne, so that'll be easy for you." He says quietly.

"Uh... Ok, thanks." Harry replies. They don't talk anymore after that.

***

Harry's POV:

This can't be right. Does Draco wear amortentia for his cologne? No, there's no way. He smelt other things than just that cologne. Maybe he just really likes the scent of the cologne and that's why? Or he just kept smelling Draco beside him. 

There was such a strong wave of it, though, right after he mentioned the scent of ink. It hit him right in the face. It was more hypnotizing than the other smells. Bloody hell, it was amazing. He didn't think he should've asked him that question, though. He bloody embarrassed himself. Damn, he's talking like Ron now.

"Class dismissed!" Snape shouts, scaring him out of his thoughts. 

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione says, smiling at me as she walks out. Ron gives Draco a glare and follows after Hermione. 

"Bye, Draco." Harry smiles at him. 

"Yeah, bye," Draco says with a small smile. 

He just hopes he's becoming less of an arse. It shocked him when he apologized earlier, but it made him really happy to hear him say that for the first time ever. It makes him have hope for him. He walks out of the classroom with Hermione and Ron.

"It was strange how Malfoy stood up for you today with Snape. Honestly, I think the git is up to something." Ron says.

"Maybe he's becoming a better person," Harry says.

"He is horrible to us, Harry! How could you say that!" Ron shouts.

"Ronald! Listen, you never know. Yes, Malfoy has been horrible to us, but maybe he is finally growing up. But, we still need to be careful around him. Watch your back Harry, alright?" Hermione warns.

"Of course. I won't just blindly trust him, but I do have hope that he's actually learning. Who knows? Maybe he'll apologize to you and Hermione soon." Harry predicts, making Ron scoff.

"Yeah right," Ron says.

"He apologized to me today! For the first time ever! Well, not for everything, but for his attitude yesterday. Plus we actually had a civilized class time together today. If nothing else, I'll make him apologize to you guys too." He assures them. 

"You can't make him do anything. Malfoy will be Malfoy. He is the way he was raised, vile. Not to mention he is a Slytherin! A snake! You can't trust any of them! Everyone who was ever been evil has been in Slytherin!" Ron says angrily.

"Whatever, Ron. We'll see how this goes." He walks past them. 

"Fine! But when he stabs you in the back don't come crying to us!" Ron shouts from behind me. 

"Ronald!" Harry hears Hermione shout. He smiles. Just like an old married couple.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco's POV:

The next day was all but uneventful. During potions that morning, Goyle towered over Neville Longbottom and threatened to beat him like there was no tomorrow just because he accidentally skipped a step. 

Everyone sat and watched in horror and Snape, being who he is, took away twenty points from Gryffindor for 'disturbing the class'. 

Then, in Defense Against the Dark Arts, nothing seemed to change. Goyle still looked like he was ready to kill Neville Longbottom. Draco didn't care, but Harry seemed too invested in it to pay attention to the class. 

"Alright, so today we continue our work on Patronus's, hopefully with no fights this time." Professor Lupin said with a smile. "Why don't you come up here, Blaise." 

With that, Blaise Zabini strolls to the center of the classroom and tries the Patronus charm. A simple small light comes out and almost forms a shape, but quickly disappears.

"Good work!" says Lupin. The class continued on and only a couple of people managed to form a Patronus. Hermione Granger, however, didn't manage it and remained upset for the rest of the day. 

Draco could hear her complain about how she failed the task over and over again. He just wanted her to shut the bloody hell up. He would've casted a hex on her if it wouldn't have landed him in Dumbledore's office. Good Merlin, he never wanted to go back there.

In the great hall, Draco didn't eat and instead observed. There was no possible way he could eat after what's happened in the past week. Knowing what he's going to have to do only soils his appetite. 

He catches glimpse of Blaise, who doesn't eat either, and instead continues to glance over at what Draco could only guess was the Gryffindor table. 

Draco's curiosity got the better of him. "Blaise." 

Blaise seems startled at this. "Yeah?"

"What are you looking at over there?" 

Blaise doesn't seem to meet Draco's eyes after that. "Uh, just Lovegood... She looks awfully nutty with her butterfly hat, it was hard not to look." Blaise chuckles awkwardly. 

"Really?" Draco asked, he just didn't think Blaise was being truthful.

"Yeah..." Blaise says, still refusing to look up at Draco. 

Draco simply nods and continues to stare at the table. He then feels that odd feeling of being watched again. He slowly turns around, only to realize he was simply being paranoid. Until...

"Draco?" Draco jumped a little and his eyes met Harry Potter's.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" Draco sneers.

"I came to tell you that we have an assignment to do," Harry says. "Remember the one Professor Sprout assigned?"

Shit, Draco thought. He completely ignored whatever Sprout had to say in Herbology today. 

"Oh, yeah! Come on, Blaise." Pansy says, walking out of the great hall with Blaise following behind her. 

"Uh..." Draco trailed off, trying his hardest not to meet Harry's eyes.

"You don't know what I'm talking about do you?" Harry asked. Draco could hear the slight anger in his tone.

"You know what, do it on your own." Draco snapped.

"Are you kidding me?!" Harry almost shouts, catching the attention of a couple of Slytherins and Gryffindors.

"No. Now leave me alone." Draco demanded with a smirk. 

He watched as Harry began fuming. Oddly enough, it made Draco very happy to see him this way. 

"Malfoy, get your ass off that bench and do this damn project," Harry said lowly.

"Or what?" Draco said, smirking with confidence.

"Or I'll hex you," Harry promises.

Draco still stood his ground, "Oh no, big bad golden boy's gonna hurt me! So scary!" He mocked. A couple of Slytherins giggled. 

"Tarantallegra!" Harry shouts.

Suddenly Draco stands up and begins to do the Irish jig. The whole hall erupts in laughter. Harry's face slowly lights up. 

Draco couldn't believe he did this! He just used his own curse from the dueling club against him! 

"Finite incantatum!" shouted an eerie voice before him, making Malfoy stop completely and stand there hunching over and trying to catch his breath. No one other than Severus Snape stood before them. Not only did he stop the dancing, but he also made the whole room go silent.

"Mister Potter, come with me," Snape says, grabbing onto Harry's wrist angrily and pulls him out of the Great Hall.

***

The next day Professor McGonagall called both Harry and Draco down to her office. Draco was unpleasantly surprised by Harry's presence. 

"Come sit, boys," McGonagall says. They both do as such. "Now, I know you two boys haven't gotten along since first year, but this is just getting ridiculous. If I see any more of this hexing and fighting, I will expel you both." Both Harry's and Draco's eyes widen. "Now, since you two haven't been able to get along, we have devised a plan."

"A plan?" Draco asks.

"Yes. You two will be living together." McGonagall announces.

"What?!" Both Harry and Draco shout in sync.

"No, no Professor, you must understand that can't possibly happen," Harry says.

"Oh, but it can," McGonagall says with a grin. "You see, we must do whatever we see fit to make these partnerships work out." 

"But-" Harry begins.

"That's final, Mister Potter." She says sternly. "In fact, your belongings have already been moved to your room." 

"You've got to be-"

"Potter, hold your tongue!" McGonagall ordered, making both Draco and Harry sit straight up. "Now both of you, go to your room! Professor Snape will assist you in finding it. If there happens to be any quarrels of any kind, there will be tremendous consequences." 

Both boys gulp and do exactly as their told without wait. They exit the room only to be met with Professor Snape's stone-cold expression.

"Hurry." He says, walking ahead of them and leading them towards their new quarters. 

They climb up many stairs to stop on the fourth floor in front of an oak door. 

Snape turns back to them, his robes swishing in a theatrical way. 

"Pick whatever bed you want, I don't care. Just don't make me come back here, I am dreadfully exhausted." Snape says before walking away and leaving them alone. 

Draco slowly looked at Harry. Harry didn't do the same but instead stared at the door before turning the handle and revealing a medium-sized room with two beds and big windows. 

Harry sighs, "I'll take the left one?" He asks awkwardly.

"Whatever," Draco says, pushing past him and into the room. 

Harry stares down at the floor and Draco tries to hold back a snicker. However, he doesn't hold back his gigantic grin.

Harry sees this and narrows his eyes at Draco. "What are you so happy about, Malfoy?"

"How awfully pitiful you look over there," Draco replied with a smirk.

"Are you sure? I would've thought you were thinking about Pansy Parkinson." Harry teases.

Draco blushes. "What the hell, Potter?!" He physically shudders. "What the hell?!"

Harry chuckles, "Relax, Malfoy. I was only joking. Unless..." 

"No! Eww, never in a million years!" Draco shouts. 

"Oh, then who were you thinking about?" Harry asks.

"N-no one!" Draco says, his blush getting heavier. Malfoy's don't get flustered! Stop it!

"Hmm... Perhaps it's Romilda Vane?" Harry smirks.

"No!" Draco shouts.

"Oh... It isn't a girl is it?" Harry smirks.

Draco's face turns pale. No one is supposed to know about that. No one is supposed to know about his fantasies about men. No one is supposed to know he's a freak. 

"Draco?" Harry's once mischievous expression turned concerned.

"What?!" Draco shouts back. "What do you want now?!" He couldn't stop himself, he had to shout or else he'd give all his secrets away.

"Are you ok?" Harry asks, coming closer to Draco.

"Get the fuck away from me! Never, ever talk to me again! Not in potions, not in herbology. I don't give a damn if we're partners, never say another word to me again!" Draco shouts.

"Draco-"

Before Harry can finish, Draco rushes towards the door and leaves, slamming it violently behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

Neville's POV:

Neville Longbottom shakily made his way to Dumbledore's office. He had no idea what the password was. He actually asked Professor McGonagall thirty minutes earlier but managed to forget all about it. He didn't even have the faintest idea what it was! 

"Uh... Gryffindor?" Neville asked nervously. Nothing happened. He whined in agony. If he didn't get in there, he was doomed. He was sure of it. 

"Longbottom!" He heard a shout from behind him. 

Oh no! He began to bang on the golden gargoyle. "Let me in!" He whined.

"There you are!" Goyle shouted from behind him with an evil grin plastered upon his face. He ran towards Neville with his wand held out.

Neville cowered in fear. This was the end.

"Mister Goyle!" McGonagall shouted. "What in the world do you think you're doing?!" 

"Pr-Professor!" Goyle said shakily.

"Fifty points from Slytherin!" McGonagall declared.

"Wh-"

"Professor, i-it's ok," Neville spoke quietly.

"No, it isn't, Mister Longbottom," McGonagall said, staring at him while fuming. "Goyle, come with me!" She then turned to Neville once more and whispered, "The password is Sherbet Lemon. Wait there for me." She then strolls off, holding Goyle by his arm and pulling him with her. 

He turns to the gargoyle once more. "Uh... Sherbet lemon?" The gargoyle turns around to reveal a stunning spiral staircase. "Woah..." He reluctantly climbs up the steps and soon is met with a large room.

"Neville Longbottom! What a pleasure! Come sit." says Dumbledore, startling Neville slightly. 

"Uh... Ok." Neville watches as Dumbledore sits at his desk and Neville chooses a chair in front of him. "Y-you have a nice office..." Neville says.

"Thank you! I love it here as well." Dumbledore says with twinkling eyes and a warm smile. It almost made Neville calm down, almost. 

"Uh... Professor McGonagall t-told me to wait here for her." Neville announces.

"Ah, I see. Tea or perhaps coffee?" Dumbledore asks.

"No, thank you," Neville replies, his voice slightly cracking. I hate that. He always hated it. It made him sound girly and scared. Maybe he was girly and scared, but it still made him feel bad!

"Wanna tell me why you're here, Neville?" Dumbledore asks as he pours himself fresh coffee.

"Uh... Well... I-I uh, well..."

"Relax, Neville. You can tell me anything. It's a safe place here." Dumbledore says with a small smile.

Neville takes a deep breath. "Goyle- Well, see... We were working on a potion and... I made it explode. G-Goyle was u-upset..." 

"Ah, I see where this is going," Dumbledore says with a sad sigh. "He's your partner, yes?"

"Yes," Neville replies.

"We must change that. Clearly, he is not a good candidate for you." 

"N-no! I c-can handle it!" Neville claims.

Dumbledore looks at him with a proud smile. "While it is very noble of you to try and give him less trouble, I'm afraid that won't work out."

"B-but Draco and Harry are still partners!" 

Dumbledore gives him a glance before saying, "Goyle will now be paired with Pansy. You must be partnered with whoever Miss Parkinson was originally paired with."

"But... I don't remember who that was..." Neville says.

"Severus will sort that out tomorrow. For now, you must go rest. You seem terribly shaken." Dumbledore says.

"But-"

"If you're wondering about Professor McGonagall, I'm sure she was thinking the same thing for you. Don't worry, just go relax." Dumbledore gave him a warm smile and gestured to the exit.

"T-thank you, Professor," Neville says, leaving his office at that.

He bumps into someone on the way out. "Sorry!" He quickly shouts. He looks up to meet the eyes of Blaise Zabini. Oh no. His body goes stiff and his insides twist all around.

Zabini smirks at him. "Better pay attention, Longbottom." Neville gulps and nods at him. Zabini chuckles softly, sporting his husky tone, which gives Neville a funny feeling in his stomach. "See you in potions tomorrow." He smiles at Neville and walks away, making the strange feeling he couldn't name get worse. 

He took another deep breath and checked his surroundings before walking towards the common room. He ran a hand through his hair. What was that feeling?

***

Draco's POV:

Draco sat in the stall, trying not to cry. Malfoy's don't cry. 

How did Potter know? Did he stalk him and find out? Did someone from Slytherin say something? 

"Malfoy?" He heard a familiar squeaky voice ask.

"Go away, Myrtle!" He shouts.

"I know what you're thinking about..." Myrtle says, "I know because last time you looked just like this."

"Go away!"

"You feel like a freak, don't you?" Myrtle asks, peeping her head through the stall door. 

"Myrtle, I could've been... You know... Doing my business!" Draco shouts.

"But you weren't..." She sighs sadly and sits on the floor beside him. "You know, even though you're quite mean, we have a lot in common." 

"No, we don't!" Draco shouts.

"Yes, we do..." Myrtle looks up at him and smiles, "We're both freaks, and we both cry a lot."

Draco felt insulted. "Get out!" He shouts.

"It's not bad to cry, you know," Myrtle says. "It's not bad that you like blokes either."

"Keep it down!" He whispers, "And no, I don't like blokes." 

"Yeah, you do... I saw those magazines in your-"

"What the hell?! Get out!" Draco shouts.

Myrtle giggles, "They were pretty exciting."

"Myrtle, you disgust me." Draco sneers.

"Says the boy with pictures of naked men in his drawer." Myrtle giggles.

Draco blushes heavily. "I-I got rid of those!" He whispers. 

"That was after you had fun with them." Myrtle giggles.

"You watched me?!" Draco shouts.

"No! Oh God, no! I was actually assuming that..." Myrtle replied, looking away from Draco.

Draco now blushed heavier. "Can you go away?" 

"Thank you for saying it nicely." Myrtle smiles and disappears into the wall. 

His embarrassment felt like it was going to kill him. He groaned and pulled on his hair in frustration. Why did he have to be this way?

"Draco?" He heard someone say. He gasped and quickly covered his mouth. "I know you're in here! I just heard you!"

"What do you want, Potter?" Draco asks.

"Are... Are you sick or something? Do you need to go to Madame Pomfrey?" Harry asks.

"Uh..." Why did Potter care about him? "No. Get out." He demands. Potter didn't care, it was all a ploy.

"Draco... We promised to be civil and here we are, shouting and arguing."

"Well then maybe you should fix up your act, huh?!" Draco shouts.

Harry sighs. "Fine, Draco. Just try to be quiet when you get back. I'll be sleeping." With that, he hears him walk out. 

When he knows he's gone, he sighs as well as a single tear rolls down his face.


	9. Chapter 9

Draco's POV:

Draco laid awake in his new bed thinking about his father, Voldemort, and his quest. He imagined every possible outcome. Each one seemed more horrific than the previous one. 

His thoughts were interrupted by soft whimpering. Great, Draco thought, Potter must be having a wet dream. He shuddered at the thought. 

Soon enough, however, the whimpers turned to heavy breathing then the heavy breathing turned to soft sounds. Potter was talking, but Draco couldn't make out the words. 

He wanted to ignore it, he wanted to not think of Harry having a weird dream he was assuming he was having, but he couldn't stop listening. 

"No." He heard Potter whisper. "Stop."

Huh? Was this some part of a sick fantasy Potter had? No way.

"Help." He said a bit louder. Soon he would hear Harry panting. "No!" He screamed, making Draco pop right out of his bed and stare at Harry in shock.

Harry continued to scream as if he was being burned alive. Ok, maybe it wasn't a wet dream... 

Draco wanted to just ignore it, to walk out of the room and sleep elsewhere, but he couldn't move. Not when he was so in shock. 

And so Harry screamed and screamed. Draco began to breathe shakily. All of this was so overwhelming. What the hell was happening? 

As if his body finally got a mind of its own, he rushed over to Harry's bed and began to shake him awake. 

"Get up!" Draco shouted. 

Harry screamed, "No! Let go of me! Let go!" 

"Potter, shut up! It's me!" Draco shouted.

Harry opened his eyes. Draco then noticed the tears coming down his face. Harry quickly wiped them away and stared back at Draco. 

Harry took many deep breaths, while Draco sat there in shock once again.

"I... I'm sorry for waking you." Harry says. 

Draco stayed silent for a while, simply staring at Harry. He narrowed his eyes slightly. His eyes are so green. 

"I'm sorry... You can go back to sleep now, I'll be quiet." Harry promised.

Draco simply continued to stare. Why couldn't he stop?

"Draco?" Harry spoke.

"Y-yes?" Draco squeaked, making himself blush at how girly he sounded. What was going on with him?! Malfoy's don't do this thing!

"Uh... Are you ok? You've been like... Staring." Harry says.

"Uh... I just... You scared me." Draco says softly.

Harry's lips slowly curl upwards. "I scared you? You mean to tell me you were... Worried?" 

Draco blushes, "What?! No! I... You just s-sc-screamed really loudly..." Now he was stuttering?! Good Merlin. 

Harry smiled once more, but somehow differently. "Well... I apologize. Get some rest, I'll be fine." 

"No one cares if you're fine or not, Potter." Draco sneers. 

"You seemed pretty worried just a second ago," Harry smirks. "Seems like someone cares..." 

"Sod off," Draco says, turning his back and plopping himself back on his own bed. He lays down and turns his back to Harry.

After a moment of silence, Harry speaks up, "Goodnight, Malfoy." 

Draco slowly smiles, "Fuck you, Potter."

He was pleasantly surprised to hear Harry chuckle. The sound made him smile wider. "Sleep well," Harry says before the room goes silent.

***

Neville's POV:

Neville tapped his foot anxiously as he waited for potions class to start. He noticed McGonagall stepping in and speaking to Snape, who simply rolled his eyes and glanced at Neville. He hated that. Every time Snape looked at him he felt a sense of dread. He just had a feeling Snape wanted him dead. To be fair, he wanted himself dead too. 

He caught sight of Blaise and began to blush. He didn't know why but just the sight of Blaise made him feel all weird inside. Maybe it's because of how scary Blaise looked. He was skinny, but he was too skilled at hexes and curses to cross him. 

Snape called him over and talked to him. Blaise then glanced at Neville. Oddly enough, the sensation he felt was different than when Snape would look at him. Both felt scary, but Blaise's glance felt... Different. Neville couldn't put his finger on it. 

Then, Blaise walked over to him. Panic washed over his body and he quickly diverted his eyes at the table in front of him. 

He sat beside him and Neville tried to push down the irresistible urge to hyperventilate. Blaise was surely going to do something to him and it wasn't going to be good.

"So..." Blaise started. "I guess we're partners now." 

"W-what?" Neville asked fearfully, quickly glancing at Blaise only to look away once more. The room suddenly felt warm. He didn't like it at all.

"Well, Snape just said you traded partners with Pansy. Now I'm your partner." Blaise says. 

Neville softly whimpered. Nothing was going to change. Surely enough Blaise would kick the bloody hell out of him if he messed anything up. It was surely over for him. 

Snape began the lesson on the Draught of Peace and Neville tried hard to pay attention to every word, but he simply couldn't. He never could. That's why he was such a failure. His mind just wasn't good enough. 

He ran a hand through his hair with no essence of gentleness. He wanted to pull his hair out. He would never be good enough, would he? Now the Slytherins as a whole would destroy him and so would the rest of the world. He kept wondering why, oh why, was he in Gryffindor. He wasn't worthy whatsoever. If only that wretched dusty hat put him in Hufflepuff. That's exactly where he belongs. Besides, all the Hufflepuffs are seen as weak failures, just like he is. He was perfect for it, yet he got Gryffindor. It made no sense.

"Mister Longbottom!" He heard Snape shout. His insides began to burn and sink down. Please don't do this. "You wouldn't be such a pathetic disgrace if you managed to pay attention!" Snape scolded. 

Chuckles could be heard from all around the classroom. They were all laughing at him. 

"Twenty points from Gryffindor thanks to Longbottom," Snape says.

The Gryffindors groaned. They must be upset with him. It's all his fault. 

He took shaky deep breaths, trying to calm himself down as Snape continued his lesson. 

"Neville?" Blaise whispered beside him. Neville reluctantly looks over at him to see Blaise giving him a concerned and sympathetic look. 

The room felt warmer, which made him feel worse. He tried to hold it back, but he couldn't stop. Tears formed in his eyes and slowly trickled down his face. No, no, no. There he goes again, embarrassing himself. 

He hid his face and felt a hand squeeze his arm. He looked up quickly to see Blaise discreetly gripping his arm.

His breath hitched. He's making it worse. He wanted him to stop, but he also didn't. He didn't understand a thing that was happening. 

Neville gulped and took many shaky deep breaths, but didn't feel any better.

Blaise squeezed his arm gently and gave him a reassuring look. 

Why is the room so hot?! Why is my heart beating so fast?! Oh, Merlin, I'm having a panic attack! Neville began to slowly hyperventilate. He couldn't stop himself. 

"Do you need to go to the infirmary?" Blaise whispers. A shiver goes down Neville's spine. What's happening to me?

Neville's breathing gets heavier and more rapid. Without another word, Blaise grabs Neville and drags him out of the classroom. Neville could feel the eyes on him. It only made things worse.

"Mister Longbottom, get back here!" Snape shouted, but Blaise didn't stop. 

Blaise opened the classroom door with a slam and dragged him out into the hallway.

"W-what are you going to do?" Neville asked fearfully. Last time someone dragged him somewhere, it was to hex him senseless. 

Blaise didn't answer but instead kept dragging him to Merlin knows where.

After many hallways and staircases, they stopped in front of the infirmary. Blaise slammed the doors open just like he did the classroom doors and dragged Neville inside.

"S-stop! L-let me go! I don't need to be here!" Neville shouted.

"What is this?" Madame Pomfrey asked with her eyes wide.

"He was breathing really fast and hard... Something is wrong with him." Blaise said.

"No! Nothing is wrong!" Neville shouted to Madame Pomfrey. 

Madame Pomfrey sighed. Neville did this many times. "Come on, Neville." She grabbed his arm gently and pulled him away from Blaise. 

"Wait!" Blaise shouted abruptly. 

Both Madame Pomfrey and Neville gave him a quizzical look. "Yes, Mister Zabini?"

"Uh... Nevermind." Blaise left without leaving a chance for anyone to say anything else. 

"Come on, Neville, let's get you calmed down." Madame Pomfrey said softly.

"I d-don't need i-it." Neville stuttered. 

Madame Pomfrey gave him a soft smile, "Here," Ironically enough, she handed him a Draught of Peace. 

He sighs. He's done this before. Without a second thought, he gulps it all down.


	10. Chapter 10

Draco's POV:

Draco couldn't help but feel shocked. What in the hell did Blaise just do?! The whole class seemed to feel the same, especially the Slytherins. 

When Blaise returned, not only was Snape furious but the whole class made it a goal to pester him about what just happened. That made Snape even more furious. When Snape was furious, the whole class was miserable.

"Zabini, come here!" Snape shouted. 

Instead, Blaise rolled his eyes and grabbed his things along with Neville's. Without another word, he began to walk out the door, only to be stopped by a spell swirling towards him. 

The whole class gasped. 

The doors slammed shut and Snape stomped toward Blaise with fire in his eyes. You would've thought he was going to murder him. 

He grabbed Blaise by the robes and dragged him outside. Oh no, Draco thought. The last time this happened was to Draco when he kept giving Snape sneers and dragged him outside the room by his ear and shouted at him for thirty minutes straight. Harry seemed to know the feeling too. Harry stared at the door in horror. Something bad was going to happen.

***  
Blaise's POV:

Blaise stared Snape right in the eyes. 

"What do you think you're doing?!" Snape whisper-shouted at him.

"Helping a student that you bully!" Blaise shouted. 

Snape stared at him. He knew he was seeing red, but that only made Blaise smile. 

"If you do that again, you'll wish you were dead." Snape threatened.

"Try me," Blaise smirked.

Snape then gave him a strange look. He couldn't pinpoint it, but he seemed to know something. He then seemed to regain back his previous emotion.

He pointed a finger right at Blaise and said softly, but rather horrifically, "You better watch yourself, Mister Zabini. You wouldn't want your mother finding out, huh?" 

The color drained from his face, "You wouldn't!" If his mother discovered that he helped a Gryffindor, not to mention a boy, he'd be living on the streets. Or, perhaps, in Hogwarts for the rest of his miserable life. On top of all that, he actually had feelings for that certain boy. Just thinking about him turned his insides to mush. The way he stumbles over his words and stumbles over his own feet is just beyond adorable to Blaise. He's intrigued him since third year. Now, if his mother knew that, he'd definitely not be living at home. 

"I would! So don't you dare think of doing that ever again. You understand?" 

"He was breathing really heavy! I was worried he'd kill over!" Blaise shouted.

"Then you should've sat back and enjoyed it. Get back inside." Snape orders. 

Blaise scoffs and pushes past him and back into the classroom. He finds people staring at him from all angles, but he doesn't seem to care. 

He tuned Snape out for the rest of the class until he could finally leave. 

He knew instantly where he needed to go. 

***  
Draco's POV:

Draco sat on his bed, thinking about what Blaise did earlier. Why did he sit beside Neville? Why did Pansy sit all alone? 

Then, he realized: They switched partners.

He felt the fire raise up inside of him. He stomped out and made his way to his godfather's office. 

He stopped in front and knocked violently on the door. Snape opened it, "Hello, Draco." 

He ignored him and stomped inside the room. As Snape closed the door, he began shouting. "What the hell is this?!"

"What do you mean?" Snape asked.

"Blaise and Neville! They're partners now?!" Snape nodded. "Oh, so poor pitiful Neville gets a partner change but I don't?!" 

Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Draco, you don't understand."

"What don't I understand?!" 

Snape sighed once more, "Look if you and Harry remain partners..." He got closer to Draco and whispered, "Perhaps then Voldemort will give you a pass. Perhaps then you can help him get to Potter instead of having to kill Dumbledore yourself. Perhaps... Just maybe, you'll be more well-liked by him." 

Draco squinted at Snape. "You mean to tell me... This is all a way to make things easier for me?" 

Snape nodded, "Now suck it up and go back to where you came from. Don't worry about Dumbledore, I got that." Snape assured.

Draco nodded back at him and walked out. His mind went blank. Maybe now everything will be ok? Though, a part of him felt sick to his stomach even more so than before. 

He climbed up many stairs and stopped suddenly when he heard rumbling. It came from the nearest door. He opened it to reveal a cluttered room filled with dust and old furniture. He looked around and saw a wardrobe shaking loudly. Until suddenly, it stopped.

Draco held his breath as it slowly opened and out came not only his father but Voldemort himself.

They both smirked at him and held up their wands. Voldemort took a step towards him.

"You failed your task, Draco," Voldemort spoke. "Your father is very disappointed."

His father raised his wand and stomped towards Draco, "You're a disgrace." His father said. "You're a freak. My son... A pansy. A Malfoy doesn't stare at boys! A Malfoy doesn't think about boys. A Malfoy doesn't cry and whine about every little thing! You are a boy, act like it!" His father shouted, making Draco jump. He tried to hold back his tears and instead shook like a flag in a hurricane. 

Draco backed away slowly, only to be followed by both Voldemort and his father. 

He whimpered softly and backed into a wall. He slowly held up his wand, "Ri-Rid-" He whimpered once again.

"Stupify!" Someone shouted. Draco had no strength nor care to see who it was. He didn't want to know who was seeing this happen. Once they realized it was a boggart, he would be laughed at until graduation.

Both Voldemort and his father looked over at the person. The boggart shifted, turning into a dementor. But... The only person whose boggart was a dementor-

"Riddikulus!" The person shouted, turning the dementor into a fumbling Professor Umbridge unable to catch her balance. 

The person ran over to the wardrobe. He then could see that it was no one other than, once again, Harry Potter. Bloody hell! Does he ever leave?! He opened it up and pushed the boggart back into the wardrobe and shut it tight.

He ran over to him, "Draco?" He asked sympathetically. All Draco could do was stare at the wardrobe, just waiting for it to open back up. "Draco, look at me," Harry said, grabbing his face with both hands.

Something then happened to Draco, something he couldn't decide whether he liked or not. On one hand, it took his mind off of everything that just happened. On the other hand, he had no idea what it meant and it honestly made him feel strange. His whole body seemed to tingle and his stomach did flips. Maybe he was in shock? 

"Draco, look at me," Harry said once again. He slowly turned his eyes in the direction of Harry. Harry smiled at him making the tingling rush all through his body. "Are you alright?" Harry asks softly.

"W- I... Yes?" Draco said it more as a question than an answer.

"That was a... Boggart." Harry states. Draco diverted his gaze but he couldn't hide his red cheeks. "Let's go back to our room, ok?" Harry says, grabbing Draco's hand and pulling him up. 

"I..." Draco began, "Don't think you can hold this over my head, Potter!" Draco spat.

Harry looked at him, shocking him at how soft his expression was, "I would never... We don't even have to talk about it ever again if you wish!"

Draco looked at him, not knowing how to respond, "T-thank... Uh, thanks?" 

Harry smiles once again and Draco's heart leaps from his chest. "Of course. Now let's get out of here." He chuckles, walking towards the exit.

Malfoy follows him, trying to not think about how Harry Potter just saw his worst fear. How much did he see exactly?! He wonders. His heart then leaps again, only this time, he knew it was out of fear.


	11. Chapter 11

Draco's POV:

Draco laid on his bed pretending to read, however, he was simply trying to avoid Potter's conversations. Mainly conversations about what just happened and how he, being the weakling he is, fears his own father and Voldemort. What a bloody joke. He might as well told Harry all his secrets!

He heard Harry shuffle across the room and glanced over to see his shirt just above his head. His back muscles seemed to become more defined as he stretched his arms above his head and laid the shirt beside him. 

Draco couldn't look away. The sight captivated him. 

Harry turned around, now sporting his abs. They weren't very defined, but it still took Draco's breath away. 

He blushed. How could he be thinking this way?! 

Harry looked over at him, making him quickly redirect his eyes back to his book. The sight, however, still burned in his brain. What shocked him most what that it didn't repulse him one bit.

He heard more moving on Harry's end, though he willed himself not to look. How perverted was he?! 

"Draco?" Harry said.

"Yeah?" Draco replied, still staring blankly at the letters on the page.

"Are you alright? I mean, that scene was... Unnerving for sure." Harry says.

"I-I'm fine," Draco says angrily.

"We don't have to talk about it, it's just-"

"Don't pity me, Potter. I'm fine." Draco stated with an eye roll.

"It's not pity!" Harry shouted.

"Yet you sit there and talk to me like I'm some scared toddler," Draco remarked.

Harry sighs, "Listen, I know what it's like to be afraid... And if your boggart says anything, I know what it's also like to have a terrible family." 

"Sod off, Potter. Your life is great. You're praised for everything, even laying a brick in the loo." Draco jeered, making Harry huff in anger.

"Both of my real parents are dead and those muggles I live with don't praise me for anything. Even if I make their meals three times a day. Even if I wash the dishes and clean the bathroom. You don't know half of it, Draco." Harry corrected.

"Poor, pitiful me!" Draco ridiculed, "Fuck off!" 

"Fine, next time I'll make sure you deal with that boggart alone." Harry finished, stomping towards the bathroom, and slammed the door shut behind him. 

Draco sighed sadly. Perhaps he can obliviate him? Then he doesn't have to know about his boggart. No, too risky.

He heard as the bath started. He sighed once more and walked out of the room with his book in hand.

***  
Neville's POV:

Neville struggled as he dug into the dirt. Professor Sprout had asked him to get some plants from the garden with their roots intact. 

"Hi, Neville!" Someone's soft voice said behind him. He looked back to see Luna Lovegood smiling down at him. 

"Hi, Luna." He replied quietly. 

"How are you?" She asks.

"Uh... Fine?" He replies.

"I heard what Snape did... Very rude. The bargyles would hate him." Luna says.

"What are bargyles?" Neville asks.

"They're small winged creatures that fly into your ears! They only fly into good-hearted people, though." Luna smiled.

Neville gives her a strange look. He didn't want to think about something flying into his ear. 

"They're swarming you, you know," Luna informed. 

Neville slightly blushed, "Oh," He said. Even though the thought terrified him, it was slightly flattering to know that, if bargyles happened to exist, that they'd be all around him.

"So, how has the partnership with a Slytherin been going?" Luna asked.

"Oh... Uh... That's been ok. I switched out partners for Blaise. It isn't too bad now." Neville acknowledged.

"That's great! By the way, what are you doing?" 

"Helping out Professor Sprout. She wanted me to get her some plants from the garden." Neville informs.

"May I help you?" Luna offers.

"O-oh... Sure." Neville hands her a second pair of gloves. 

"Hey, Neville!" Another voice says behind them.

His eyes meet those of Blaise Zabini and he suddenly feels nervous. "U-uh, h-hey!" Neville stutters. 

"Hi! You must be Blaise!" Luna says happily.

"Yeah... Uh, I am." Blaise says nonchalantly. 

"How wonderful!" Luna exclaims. 

Blaise gave her a death stare. It made Neville quite uncomfortable. 

"Well, I'll uh... See you tomorrow." Blaise says, turning on his heels and walking away without another word.

"That was strange..." Luna says before beginning her work on a plant just two feet away from her. 

"Yeah..." Neville replied, staring at Blaise's back as he continued to walk away. 

***  
Draco's POV:

Draco was finding his way back in the room after visiting the common room. He wanted a nice quiet place to study, and the Slytherin common room seemed to be the right place. Shockingly enough, only a few people were there, which made it even better. 

The only issue was that Pansy and Goyle kept pestering him about where he was. 

He slowly opened the door, knocking to make sure he didn't walk in while Harry was naked. 

"Yeah?" He heard Harry say.

"It's Draco, I'm just making sure I can come in." He replied. Harry replied with a yes and Draco walked in with a sigh. 

Even though the Slytherins were a pain, he missed his dorm. Being here with Harry was worse than hearing Parkinson whine about every little thing. However, it was a close contender. 

He plopped himself onto his bed and took off his shoes. 

"You were gone a while." Harry states.

"Yeah... I was studying. What's the issue with being gone long while studying?"

"Nothing. I was just... Curious." Harry says, reaching over to grab a book from his school bag. 

He opened it and began to read and Draco decided, to make it less awkward, he'd do the same. However, it was hard to reach with all of Harry's spell casting.

After a while, Harry grunted. 

"What are you whining about, Potter?" Draco teased. 

Harry glared at him. "These spells... I can't get them." He admitted. 

"Huh," Draco got up and sat down beside Harry. He looked over his shoulder to look at the page, noticing it was transfiguration. He looked over to see that Harry's book from before had turned to ashes. "Oh, I see. Look, all you gotta do is..." Draco picked up his wand and reached over to grab a quill to experiment on. He waved his wand gracefully, watching as the quill turned into a dove. He then smiled and looked over at Harry. Their eyes met and Draco gulped. They were way too close. 

Suddenly, his heart began to beat like a cheetah running through the savanna. His stomach did hurdles through his body and his cheeks began to burn. Then, he finally realized what all of this meant. It wasn't sickness nor nervousness. It wasn't some random feeling that happened to appear. No, it was none of that. The only time he felt this was with his first ever crush, Vincent Widdleprim before he moved away to Germany. 

It all made sense now, the feeling he got when Harry took off his shirt, the happiness he felt seeing Harry get riled up, the rare happy feeling he got when Harry gave him attention, his constant need to be cool around Harry. It all made sense. Good Merlin! His stomach stopped doing leaps and began to sink low. Oh no, this is bloody madness! 

He have a crush on Harry Potter?! Oh good Merlin! 

"Uh, I g-gotta g-go." Draco stuttered, rushing away from Harry and stumbling on his way out. He blushed at his clumsiness and rushed out as quickly as possible. 

Harry called after him, but he didn't listen. He had to leave and he had to leave quickly. 

He looks behind him, making sure Harry wasn't following him. Stupidly, he bumps into someone, making all their books fall from their hands. 

He looks up to see Blaise. He still heaved from his new discovery and Blaise stared at him strangely. 

"Draco? Are you ok? Merlin, you look like you've seen Myrtle in her underwear!" Blaise shouts. 

Suddenly, much to his dismay, he begins to sob. Blaise grabs his arm and pulls him towards an empty classroom. 

"Draco, calm down." He says softly. 

"No, no I can't!" Draco cries. 

"Tell me what's wrong," Blaise says.

"I can't!" 

"Draco, believe it or not, I am your friend. You may not like me, hell I know you don't, but I promise I won't tell anyone what you tell me. I won't even say I saw you today. Now I want to help you so please tell me what the hell is wrong with you." Blaise begs. "Seriously, you're kinda scaring the daylights out of me." 

Draco takes a shaky sigh, "I... You... Look, I can't tell you. No one knows ok. If anyone knew I'd... They-"

"I already promised I wouldn't say anything. I'll even take an unbreakable vow," Blaise says, giving Draco a sincere look in the eyes.

Draco sighs once more. "I... I think I like someone." He says feeling childish. Seriously, he's having a panic attack and the only thing he can say is 'I think I like someone.' What was he, six?!

"Ok... May I ask who it is?" 

"No." Draco says.

"Oh ok... Uh, well why are you so upset?" Blaise asks.

"Well... I'm not supposed to like this person." Draco says, blushing in embarrassment. 

"Ah... That must mean they're perhaps an enemy? Or perhaps... A Gryffindor?" Blaise guesses.

Draco blushes harder, "Uh..."

"No way!" Blaise shouts.

"Shut up!" Draco scolds, making Blaise cover his mouth. 

"Right, sorry... Well, who is it? Is it that Weasley girl?"

"Eww, Merlin no!" Draco shouts, almost vomiting on spot. Not only was she not at all attractive, but her obsession with Potter was even more sickening. Wow, there's another sign of how unbelievably oblivious he was to his attraction to him. 

"Granger?" 

"No!" Draco shouts again.

"Oh... Uh..." Blaise struggles to find another candidate. "Uh... May I ask a question?"

"You've been asking questions without permission for three minutes." Draco points out, making Blaise slightly glare with a remaining smile on his face.

"Alright, then... Don't get mad at me but... Is it a boy or a girl?" Blaise whispers. 

Draco stares at him, not daring to answer. Unfortunately for him, that was enough of an answer for Blaise. 

"W-wait... It's a boy?" Blaise whispers. Draco stares down at the floor and Blaise smiles. "It is!" He whispers excitedly. 

"Look, I-"

"Is it Ron?" 

"No!" 

Blaise suddenly drops his face down to the ground before looking back up at him, "Perhaps... Longbottom?" He asks with a smile. 

"Eww!" Draco shouts. 

Blaise smiles, "Huh... Well, it can't be Potter..." Draco blushes even worse and gulps. Blaise's eyes widen, "You don't mean to tell me-"

"No! No. I..." Draco glances at the door, making a plan to make a break for it.

"Oh, my Merlin! It is him!" Blaise whispers. 

"No, it's not!" Draco shouts angrily. 

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I told Weasley that he likes her," Blaise smirks. 

"I'm leaving," Draco says, beginning to walk away but is caught by Blaise.

"No, you aren't." Blaise grips him tightly. "I know that's who it is. You are painfully horrible at hiding it. Here I was thinking you were a true Slytherin, yet your secrets are easily given away. Though, I wouldn't say it's surprising now that I think about it..."

"What isn't surprising?" Draco sneers.

"That you have a little thing for him." Blaise smirks again.

"Look, I'm not in the damn mood for your teasing. I just want to leave and forget this ever happened and completely forget Potter exists. So let me go." Draco demands.

"I'm not trying to tease you about it, Draco. I want you to admit it!" Blaise says.

"How about-"

"No, how about you shut up and listen. I'm gonna tell you a little something about myself." Blaise says, making Draco's sneer turn into a look of dreadful confusion. "Let's go sit." Blaise leads him to a table full of chairs and they both sit in front of each other.

"What are you going to tell me?" Draco asks.

"Well, first of all... It seems to me that Gryffindors attract Slytherins much more than we thought." Blaise chuckles.

"You like a Gryffindor?" Draco whispers.

"Yeah... I do." Blaise rubs the back of his neck, "Not to mention... It's a boy..." Blaise admits, staring down at the table before them.

Draco looks at him with wide eyes. "You're kidding..." 

"No. Not at all." Blaise gives a nervous chuckle. 

"W-well... Who is it?" Draco asks, worried about the answer. What if it's Harry as well? I mean, every girl has a crush on Harry. It wouldn't be surprising if all gay men liked Harry too. It's not like he had a chance with Harry, but having another person over the moon for him made him worried.

"Well... I've never told anyone so this is a little nerve-wracking." He chuckles once more, "So... There's this boy who has always kinda been you know... Kinda an underdog I guess you could say. He's always so nervous it's kinda adorable." Blaise grins wide. 

Now Draco can't seem to think of who it could be. All Gryffindors are pretty confident. Which one could possibly be the way Blaise is describing? 

"He's just someone I feel I should protect, you know? Especially since Snape always picks on him..." Blaise sighs, "I bet if I told anyone who it was they'd laugh... Including you. Even though I don't see how he's so laughable? He's an absolute angel." 

"You really do seem to like him," Draco says.

"Well... I wouldn't say like... To be honest, I've liked him so long that it feels more like love." Blaise grins widely once more. "Wow, it feels amazing to say that. Maybe I do love him." He laughs happily and rubs his neck again. 

"Dang, Zabini..." Draco says, "I didn't know you loved someone."

"I was confused by it for a while... But now that I said it to someone, it just feels right. It feels true." Blaise says, giving Draco a smile, "I'm glad I told you, even though I'm still terrified to tell you who it is..."

"I mean, you kinda pushed me to tell you... So now you have to tell me." Draco smirks. 

"You haven't already got a hint?" Blaise says, staring at him as if he grew two heads.

"No, Zabini, I haven't." 

"No wonder you aren't in Ravenclaw."

Draco gasps, "You asshat!" 

Blaise laughs, "It was a joke!" 

"Seriously though, I have no idea. Please tell me." Draco pleads.

Blaise sighs, "Promise not to laugh?"

"I'll take an unbreakable vow if I have to," Draco smirks. 

Blaise takes a deep breath. "I'm... I'm in love with Neville Longbottom."


	12. Chapter 12

Draco's POV:

Blaise looks up at him and grins like an idiot. "I'm in love with Neville Longbottom!" He says louder. He seems to be in surprise. "I am! Ha!" He says, smiling even wider.

Draco stares at him in shock. He couldn't say he wanted to laugh, he was just in wonder. If anyone were to like, or in this case love, Neville Longbottom it would've been Luna Lovegood. 

He wouldn't have thought for a second that someone like Blaise could've fallen for someone like Neville. 

"There, I said it. Wow, that felt amazing to say." Blaise sighs in happiness. 

"Wait... That's why you took him out of the classroom the other day!" Draco observes.

"Yeah... Hopefully, I didn't embarrass him." Blaise says.

"Not really. We were just baffled a little. By the way, why did you do that?" 

"Well, he seemed strange. He was breathing really heavy and seemed really upset. I was worried he'd start convulsing." Blaise explains.

"Wow, I didn't know you were such a Hufflepuff," Draco smirks.

Blaise chuckles, "Sod off." 

For the first time ever, Draco felt comfortable around one of his 'friends'. Actually, it finally felt like he had a friend. He never knew Blaise could be such an accepting person. It was strange for any Slytherin to be the way Blaise was being. But he didn't mind, it made him pretty comfortable. He actually felt as if he could tell Blaise almost anything without being judged, almost. 

"Well, it's time for dinner. Wanna come with me?" Blaise asks.

"Sure," Draco smiles and walks with Blaise towards the great hall. 

When they finally get there, they walk in and Draco immediately notices Harry. It took everything in him to not walk right back out and run all the way to Antarctica. 

He noticed Blaise glancing over at the Gryffindor table and he also managed to notice how truly fidgety Neville was. He seemed to look around the great hall in anxiety. It really was a wonder to how he was in Gryffindor. 

He looked back to Blaise and noticed a soft smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye as they sat down with the Slytherins. He made it a goal to tease him about it later. However, deep down it made Draco happy to see someone like that. It's not like his father had shown much love to his mother ever. Even though it made him feel much shame, seeing someone look at another person that way with such love made Draco feel hope again. 

***  
Neville's POV:

Neville held Trevor closely as he walked back to the Gryffindor tower. He kept trying to slip out of his hand, like always. 

He had been paying too much attention to Trevor that he tripped over a rouge book in the hallway, falling over and losing Trevor on the way. Trevor hopped away quickly and Neville stumbled trying to get up. 

He ran through the halls, not failing to catch some laughs from the other students in the halls. 

He held out his hands, trying to catch Trevor but miserably failing. Before he could stop at the sight of feet, he crashed into the person's legs. He groaned and laid there in defeat. 

"Wingardium leviosa!" The person shouted. "You can get up now." They said softly.

Neville looked up slowly and saw a smiling Blaise holding up Trevor in the air with his wand. Neville blushed and clumsily stood up. 

"Th-thanks." He stutters. 

"Of course." He lowers Trevor into Neville's hands. "There you are, Trev." Blaise smiles and pats Trevor on the head softly. He looks at Neville, making his palms sweat. "Hey, Neville, how are you?" 

"I'm fine." Neville's voice cracks. "Uh... H-how are you?" He almost whispers.

"I'm wonderful, thanks for asking! It seems that Trevor is quite the troublemaker." Blaise comments with a smirk. 

"Yeah. He tries to eat my snacks sometimes." Neville says softly and Blaise chuckles, making Neville smile softly. 

"Isn't he supposed to eat bugs?" 

"W-well, he doesn't seem to know to the concept of uh... Human versus t-toad food." Neville explains. 

"Clearly." Blaise laughs softly. "Where are you headed to?"

"G-gryffindor tower," Neville replies, staring down at the floor. 

"Why don't I take you up there? You know, just in case Trevor escapes again. We wouldn't want you to chase him for hours and feel exhausted." Blaise says. 

Neville can't help but feel suspicious. Why would a Slytherin want to help him? Why would anyone want to help him? If anything, they'd just want a good laugh and a reason to use those jinxes they learned. 

Due to Neville's silence, Blaise's smile seemed to fade. "Well... I'm going to go then." He purses his lips together and puts his hands in his pockets. "Good luck." With that he walks away, leaving Neville to sigh in relief. He escaped the possibility of being a joke to someone once more. 

However, he knew he wouldn't always be able to escape it. There would always be a time when he was a laughing stock to the whole school, or even perhaps the whole wizarding world. It was saddening, but it was true. It was worthless to go and mope about it when it was all he would ever be. It's not like he'd find a woman and settle down and get a great job and be well-liked. That'd never happen. He was unattractive and unsuccessful. Everything he did he managed to fail at, especially potions. Trying was worthless, however, he still continued to try. How stupid of him. He was not only wasting his time but the time of every other person around him. 

"Neville?" A soft voice said beside him.

"Hi, Luna." He sighs.

"Is everything alright?" She asks. 

"Yes."

"You can't fool me, Neville." She says with a smile.

"W-what do you mean?" He asks nervously.

"You're upset. I can tell." A few students, two happened to be Gryffindors, passed and looked over at them. The smiled at them and walked away giggling. Neville sighed once more. "Ah, I see. It's the people upsetting you." Luna touches his shoulder comfortingly, "I understand, people can be mean." 

"It doesn't matter," Neville replies, softly petting Trevor. 

"Of course it does! If it's upsetting you, of course, it matters!" 

"I don't know..." Neville replies sadly.

"We can go catch fireflies, maybe that'll make you feel better. Or perhaps we can go feed the thestrals." Luna suggested. 

"No, I'm ok," Neville says.

"Alright... Well, go get some rest! That'll help for sure! If you want, I could also bring you some cookies tomorrow that my friend made! The house-elves were very upset when he took over the kitchen, but they're so very good!" Luna says.

"Sure," Neville says. "Well, I should be getting back to the Gryffindor tower."

"Of course! Good night, Neville!" Luna says with a bright smile.

"Night, Luna." He silently walks up the steps as he stares down at his feet. Well, at least he was getting cookies.


	13. Chapter 13

Draco's POV:

Draco sat beside Blaise in the great hall. "Hey, Blaise."

"Hey, how's it going?" Blaise asks, taking a bite of a chicken leg.

"It's going good," Draco says, not making an effort to say something truthful. 

"Hey, Draco," Pansy says, she softly touches his arm and giggles.

Draco sneers at her, "Go away." He says. He glanced over at Harry, trying to be discreet. He saw Harry looking at him and Harry quickly looked away. How strange. 

"Oh, guys did you hear Longbottom got a girlfriend?" Goyle says.

"What?!" Blaise shouts, catching the attention of not only many Slytherins, but also Gryffindors. Including none other than Neville Longbottom. 

"Yeah, Luna Lovegood! Apparently, some Gryffindors and Ravenclaws saw them together last night." Goyle informed. Draco couldn't help but feel sorry for Blaise. He looked over at him, expecting him to be absolutely torn up. I guess Draco had forgotten how great Slytherins were at hiding their true emotions.

Blaise chuckles, "Loony and Longbottom? What a coincidence that two weirdos got together." However, something seemed to flash in Blaise's eye. Draco noticed it was rage and, perhaps, pure sorrow. He could only hope he was the only one to catch it.

As if on cue, Luna passed Blaise. He didn't fail to give her a glare as she traveled by. Draco watched as she tapped Neville on the shoulder and handed him a plate of cookies. Neville smiled at her and said a few words. She nodded back and skipped away towards the Ravenclaw table. Draco looked over to notice Blaise's hand softly shaking. 

"Blaise," He whispered. Blaise looked over at him and this time, he could truly see the anger. "Uh, let's go to the common room! I need your help with my homework." Draco says, standing up and allowing Blaise to follow him out. 

When the doors to the great hall slammed behind them, Blaise's anger showed true. 

"What the hell?!" He shouted.

"Blaise, calm down, let's get to the common room."

"I can't! If I keep quiet any longer I'll lose it all!" Blaise shouts. "How could... How..." He heard his voice crack and his breathing get heavy. Blaise was going to lose it for sure. 

"Blaise... Please let's get to the common room." Draco said, taking hold of Blaise's arm. He simply nods and they walk down to the dungeons. 

"Holly berries," Draco says and the doors to the common room open. 

They step in and Blaise lets it all fly once more. 

"What the hell?!" He shouts. Draco notices his eyes begin to get red and his chest rise and fall as he paced around the common room. "Fucking bitch! How could she?! Neville doesn't deserve her!"

"Maybe it's not true?"

His voice cracks once more and tears begin to fall from his eyes. "People saw them! It has to be true!" He sits on the couch and holds his head in his hands, "I know I should be happy for him... I know I should it's just... Merlin, I'm so angry! I didn't even get a chance!" He sighs, "I hate Lovegood." He sneers.

Draco sits down beside him and puts his arm around him. "I can't begin to understand how you feel. But, I can say I'm terribly sorry." 

"Thanks, mate," Blaise says with a sniff and a smile. "You know, we should hang out more."

"Yeah." Draco smiles back, "I actually don't hate you as much as I thought."

Blaise chuckles, "That's quite the compliment." 

"I have an idea... You can steal him from Lovegood." Draco smirks. 

Blaise sighs, "No... If they love each other I suppose I should leave it alone. I still hate her though." 

Draco sniffs in amusement, "In that case, I hate her too." 

Blaise chuckles, "Thanks, Draco." 

"Wanna steal food from the house-elves like old times?" Draco suggests.

"Yes!" Blaise shouts excitedly, rushing out of the common room with Draco following him happily. 

***  
Neville's POV:

Neville anxiously looked around, hearing whispers all around him. He worried it was all about him.

"Neville!" Seamus says.

"Y-yeah?" He says.

"I heard about you and Luna." He says with a smile.

"Uh... What do you mean?" Neville asks, giving him a furrowed brow.

"Ya know, you two canoodling in the stairwell," Seamus says with a smirk.

"But... That's not-"

"May I have your attention?" Professor McGonagall says, interrupting Neville's sentence and the rest of the great hall's talking. "Professor Snape wishes to make an announcement." 

Much to Neville's dismay, Snape appears in his vision. Just at the sight of him, his palms get sweaty and he worries he'll do something wrong. He does everything wrong. 

"To the student who stole my veritaserum, there will be great consequences when I find you. Don't think I won't. In fact, there will be fifty points taken from whomever has taken it." Snape finishes eerily, not failing to glare at him. He gulps and stares back at him, fearing that if he looked away, he'd get points taken. Or worse, humiliated. 

A couple of girls looked his way and giggled, making him feel extra self-conscious. To be honest, he just wanted to leave. The great hall was one of the worst places in Hogwarts, other than Snape's classroom. 

He looked over at the Slytherin table, noticing Blaise was gone. He could only help but wonder... Why was he searching for Blaise? Why did he care if he was there or not? It's not like Blaise, or any Slytherin at all, would care if he was there or not. But the need to search for him kept pestering his mind. He sighs and takes a bite of his toast and simply stares at the dark wood of the table. A sense of loneliness plagued him suddenly, however, he was quite used to that.

***  
Pansy's POV:

Xavier Brankwood handed Pansy her one hundred galleons after breakfast. "Pleasure doing business with you." She says. 

"I'm just excited to see Neville humiliate himself." Xavier chuckles.

"You'll see Draco humiliate himself as well, so look forward to that." She smirks. She wasn't doing this for the same reason Xavier was, she didn't want to prank Draco and humiliate him. It was an upside, yes, but it wasn't the reason. Don't think she didn't notice how he looked at Harry.

If she was truly terrible, she would've gotten angry and planned revenge on Draco for liking Harry. However, she came to realize that it was a completely valid reason to why her efforts to get Draco herself never worked. He was gay! No wonder! Every other boy was too desperate to turn her down, but not Draco. 

She knew he'd never say anything himself, so she devised a plan. But, Xavier had found out she had gotten a veritaserum potion and offered her money if she shared it. She couldn't turn it down! The only other thing she needs to do was make Harry jealous.

You may be saying 'what if Harry feels nothing for Draco!' Well, that isn't the case either. She tried to flirt with Draco in front of him, and he reacted exactly how she hoped. It was confirmed when they caught eyes and Harry turned his head quickly. 

She liked Draco, yes, but matchmaking was definitely more her passion. Who cares about Draco when you can scheme and get a couple together?! That was exactly what she was going to do.


	14. Chapter 14

Neville's POV:

The next day Neville sat in the library eating a pastry and drinking a tea. A Slytherin sat in the chair nearest to him. 

"Hey, Longbottom," The Slytherin whispers. 

He looks up anxiously, "Yeah?" 

"Luna over there says she wants to talk to you." He says.

"O-oh... Ok." He looks over and sure enough, Luna sat there holding the newest edition of the Quibbler with her. 

He walks over to her, "Hi, Neville!" She says happily.

"Uh... You wanted to see me?" He asks.

"Yeah! I wanted to say-" She stops when the door to the library opens. He follows her gaze and sees Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy in the doorway. Blaise glares at them and Neville stares at the floor. 

Blaise suddenly walks out with a sneer painted on his face and is followed by Draco. Maybe Blaise hates him now? 

He looks back at Luna and she looks at him with a smile, "Anyways, I wanted to say that I've told all the Ravenclaws that we aren't dating. I know, if you've heard the rumors, you know what everyone has been saying." She sighs, "Some people just are so quick to believe everything they hear. Shocking to know they call me the loony one." She jokes.

"Uh... Yeah about that. I tried telling Seamus it wasn't true but McGonagall interrupted me. I'm so sorry." 

"It's alright. Just try again!" Luna says with a smile. 

"I will. Is that all?" Neville asks.

"I also wanted to ask if you liked the cookies." 

"They were actually so good!" Neville says happily.

"Great, because my friend made more. Seriously, he never stops." Luna smiles.

"Tell him he's doing great," Neville replies.

"He'd be delighted to know. If you ever want to say so yourself, he's in Hufflepuff. His name is Hunter. He's pretty easy to find considering he's the only Hunter in the whole school." Luna informs. 

"Uh... I think you should tell him." Neville chuckles nervously. 

"Will do! You can go back to enjoying your tea now." Luna says with a smile and waves goodbye. 

Neville walks back and plops down on the seat. The Slytherin has now gone. He takes a sip of his tea, yet it tastes strange. Perhaps it set out too long. He takes it to the bathroom and dumps the rest down the sink. 

***  
Draco's POV:

Draco enjoyed his pumpkin juice beside the fire. He had to admit, it tasted different but he didn't want to waste it, so he continued to drink it. After he was done, he set off to his new room.

He walked in and saw Harry shirtless again. He was in absolute awe.

Harry looks at him with wide eyes. "Oh, hey Draco!" He says nervously.

"Hey," Draco says with a smile.

"What are you smiling about?" Harry asks. 

"Your abs." Draco slams his hands to his mouth. He did not mean to say that. 

Harry looked at him with a blush. "Uh..."

"I'm sorry!" Draco says quickly. 

"Uh... It's ok..." Harry says, looking down at the ground. He walks over to his bed and covers himself up. 

"Really Harry... I'm sorry."

"It's- Wait," Harry says with a smirk.

"What?" 

"You just apologized to me!" Harry points out with a smile. 

"Of course I did!" He didn't mean to say that either. 

"But... You never have before." 

"Well, now it's different," Draco says. 

"Why?" Harry asks, furrowing his brows.

"Because I like you." He slammed his hands on his mouth again and shook his head violently. He didn't mean to say that either. 

"What?!" Harry shouts, staring at him as if he just told him he was the Queen of England. 

"I-I meant to say that!" Draco shouts. No, he didn't! 

"You hate me!" Harry shouts.

"No, I don't at all!" Draco shouts back. "I think you're wonderful." 

Harry stares at him in wonder. "Who slipped you a love potion?!" 

"No one!" Draco shouts. However, he wasn't sure that he wasn't slipped something. Maybe not a love potion, but definitely something. 

"Are you ok? Do I need to take you to Madame Pomfrey?" Harry asks. 

"No, I'm perfectly fine. I'm simply speaking the truth." 

"Fine, then if you're speaking the truth, what do you think of me?" Harry smirks as if he was a genius. 

"You're really beautiful," Draco says. "Merlin, why can't I shut up?!" He shouts. 

Harry stands there blushing. "Uh... I'm gonna take you to Madame Pomfrey." This time, Draco doesn't fight it. He lets Harry take him by the arm and lead him to the infirmary. 

"Your touch makes me happy," Draco says and sighs in defeat. What in the world was happening to him. 

"Yeah, you're definitely going to the infirmary." The continue on and Draco makes an effort to keep his mouth shut. Luckily for him, he never says another word. 

***  
Blaise's POV:

Blaise walks through the halls, trying not to think of Neville. The only thing it would get him was the thought of Luna and Neville together, which only made him miserable. 

"Hi, Blaise!" He heard a soft voice say.

He looks up and gives a fake smile. "Hi,"

"You don't have to worry about me," Luna says, making Blaise look at her strangely. 

"Why would I worry about you?" He almost sneers. 

Luna sighs, "I mean to say that I won't take him from you." She says with a smile.

He looks at her and sneers, "What are you on about?"

"Don't act like you don't know. I just wanted you to know I'm not after Neville. For one, I don't feel for him that way, and two, you have too many bargyles following you to do something so cruel to someone who loves so deeply." Luna smiles at him softly. 

He didn't even make an effort to ask what bargyles even were. Blaise scoffs, "If you think I'm into Longbottom, you surely are as crazy as they say."

"Don't be so quick to deny it! I see the way you look at him and then the way you look at me. You don't like me, but that's ok, I know why. Just know that I have no intention of taking him away from you. By the way... We aren't dating and never will. Good luck!" She then skips away with a smile on her face.

Blaise stares after her in wonder. Damn Ravenclaws. They're the only ones that could be a match for Slytherins. It's like they know everything. It was damn horrific. 

Then he takes in what she had just said. They aren't dating. His mouth curves up into a smile. Neville was still free. It was like Christmas had hit. Again, it's not as if he has a chance with Neville, but knowing he's still available made his heart swell. Maybe he still had a little bit of hope that it would go somewhere.

He sighs happily and almost skips towards the dungeons.


	15. Chapter 15

Neville's POV:

Neville softly pets Trevor as he sits beside the window, staring out at the black lake. 

He hears footsteps and debates hiding. However, it was too late, the person had been too close. 

Oh no, it's Blaise Zabini! Why is he always around?! He looks away, trying to hide his face. 

"Neville?" Blaise says, coming closer to him. His heart was beating loudly in his chest. 

"Hey," Neville squeaks, feeling humiliated at his horrible tone of voice.

Blaise sits in front of him with a smirk plastered on his face. "How are you?" He seemed to lose all sense of thought and the English language. 

"Uh... W-wh... I-" He grunts, "I'm an idiot!" He shouts at himself. Wait a minute, he only meant to think that! His breath hitches and he continues to hide his face.

"Nev..." Blaise grabs his arm, making his whole body feel as if it had just gone into shock. Why did he feel this way? "Nev... Look at me." The nickname brings shivers to his spine. He feared what would happen if he did what Blaise said.

"I can't." He blurts out. 

"Are you alright?" Blaise asks softly. 

"I never am." He blurts out again. He doesn't know what he's saying. 

Blaise takes hold of his hand this time. Neville suddenly feels a strange warmth not to mention a funny, but nice feeling rushing through his stomach.

"Do you need anything, Neville?" Blaise almost whispers.

"I don't know..." Instinctively, he squeezes Blaise's hand. He warmth of his skin felt nice on his. Without meaning to, he says, "You're warm."

"Thank you," Blaise says softly. "Are... Are you cold?"

"No... Just sad." Neville says. Is he trying to humiliate himself? 

"Do... Uh, do you want a hug?" Blaise asks.

"Yes," Neville replies. It was true, he did want a hug. However, he didn't mean to say it. 

It shocks Neville to feel Blaise pulling him close and wrapping his arms around him. Without thinking, Neville leans into him and hides his face in his chest. It was strange, for sure, but he hasn't had a hug since he was seven years old. Especially not one like this.

He could hear Blaise's heartbeat. It wasn't as even as he thought it would be, it was actually pretty rapid. 

"Are you alright?" Neville asks. 

"Yeah, I am. Why do you ask?" Blaise questions?

"Your heart is beating really fast," Neville says. 

Blaise is silent for a little, until finally, "I just... Have a fast heartbeat." 

"I think you're lying," Neville says. "Oh no, I'm sorry! That was mean!" He scrambles, pulling away from Blaise. Why did he keep spilling out everything he was thinking? 

Blaise squeezes Neville's hand and snakes his arm around his waist. Neville blushes and his stomach does that funny feeling once more.

"It's ok," Blaise says with a chuckle. His laugh was so nice.

"I like your laugh." Neville blurts out. He grunts in frustration. "I'm sorry."

Blaise laughs once more, "Thank you. I'm sure if you laughed, I'd like your laugh as well." He smiles at him. Neville blushes even worse this time. He tries to hide his face but fails miserably.

"Are you blushing?" Blaise whispers.

"Yes!" Neville shouts. What?! No! He meant no! 

Blaise looks at him with wide eyes before smirking at him. "Didn't expect that."

"I'm sorry!" Neville says once more, covering his face up with his hands and trying desperately to move away. Blaise still kept his grip strong. 

"Neville, you have nothing to worry about. Just relax, alright? Everything is ok." Blaise says softly, giving him a kind smile. "I'm not Professor Snape, you know." 

"I know." Neville squeaks. "Wh-why are you being so nice?" 

Blaise pulls him closer, "Because you deserve it."

"B-but you're holding me." Neville blushes. 

"So?" Blaise smirks. "You wanted a hug."

"But you're a Slytherin... Slytherins don't l-like Gryffindors." Neville says.

"I like you," Blaise states, looking into Neville's eyes with gentleness. A certain gentleness Neville never expected from any Slytherin. 

"B-but you don't k-know me." Neville stutters, worried about the response.

"I know you more than you think," Blaise says. "I know that Snape makes you feel like crap and well... So does everyone else. I also know that you like Cauldron Cakes and Chocolate Frogs freak you out."

"H-how do you-"

"I've seen it on the train." Blaise states. "I'm sorry if that's weird or anything... Maybe it is." He shakes his head. 

Neville was baffled. He couldn't wrap his head around someone giving him attention other than to laugh at him.

"Y-you... You noticed?" Neville asks, slowly smiling. 

"Well..." Blaise rubs the back of his neck, "I..." 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make things awkward." Neville blurts out once more. Wow, genius, you just made things more awkward.

"No, you didn't." Blaise gives him a smile, "Do... Uh... Do you have pl-plans today?" Blaise stutters. 

"I never do." Wow, now you really humiliated yourself. 

Blaise simply smiles wide at him, "We can go to Honeydukes! Or... Uh, somewhere else." 

He knew he shouldn't be going anywhere with any Slytherin, but something about Blasie intrigued him. "I'd love to!" He said, maybe a bit too happily. 

"Come on, then!" Blaise interlocks their hands. The funny feeling comes back. Perhaps he was sick? No, that can't be right. 

***  
Blaise's POV:

Blaise felt odd actually touching Neville, but once he started he couldn't stop. Not to mention that hug made the gray skies turn bright blue. Especially when Neville snuggled up to him. Merlin, he was worried he'd die right there. 

Of course, it was only because Neville needed a friend, but Blaise could dream. Oh, Merlin, could he dream. 

Blaise held open the door to Honeydukes for Neville and watched him step inside. 

The scent of artificial strawberry and milk chocolate filled his nose sending warmth through him. He really missed this place. 

Neville wandered off, looking at the milk chocolate wands. Blaise smiled and made his way toward the Cauldron Cakes. He grabbed a few as well as Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans before walking back towards Neville, struggling to hold it all in hand. 

"Do you want chocolate wands?" Blaise asks behind him.

"Oh, uh no it's fine. I was just going to get a lollipop." Neville says softly, "I kinda did want one, though. No, I meant-"

Before Neville could continue, Blaise grabs two packages of chocolate wands and a large lollipop. "Anything else, Mr. Longbottom?" Blaise says in a high-pitched voice.

Neville chuckles softly, "Uh... I can't think of anything." 

"Let's go pay, then!" Blaise says happily, rushing over to the counter and plopping the packages on the counter.

The lady rings it all up before saying, "That'll be thirty-seven galleons." 

Blaise reaches in his pocket, pulling out the right amount of galleons and handing it to the lady. She puts it all in a bag and hands it to him. "Come back again!" She says happily.

"Will do, thank you!" He and Neville walk out into the cold autumn air once more. 

Blaise reaches into the bag, taking out the beans and one cauldron cake before handing the rest to Neville.

"W-why did you do that?" Neville asks.

"Those are for you." Blaise says with a smile.

"B-but, I didn't want you to waste money on things for me..." Neville stares down at his shoes. The slight tint of pink upon his cheeks caused Blaise to stare. My, oh my how beautiful he was. Blaise could never ever possibly get over how angelic Neville looked and acted. How could someone be so perfect?

"W-well... I wanted to! And I do what I want..." Blaise said nervously.

"Sorry..." Neville says sadly.

"No, I didn't mean it that way! I just wanted you to have something nice. Think of it as a way of asking..." Blaise gulped, "I-if we could b-be friends." He wanted to smack himself on the head. He was more confident than this yet Neville made him a fumbling idiot.

"Friends?" Neville asked, looking up at Blaise with innocence in his eyes. Blaise thought he might die. 

"Yes... F-friends. But only if you'd want to!" Blaise says quickly. 

"I..." Neville seemed to struggle as he would open and close his mouth as if debating whether or not to say something. "You scare me," Neville says suddenly. He gasps and covers his mouth. 

"Oh..." Blaise stares at his shoes. "I'm sorry... I don't mean to scare you." 

"It's just... Normally S-Slytherins are mean. You aren't and that makes me afraid that you'll do something to me." Neville says. His eyes grow wide. "What am I saying?!" He whisper-shouts.

Blaise looked at him, wondering if he was ok. He seemed to be upset about saying what he did. Blaise couldn't explain why that would be. He wouldn't have said it if he didn't want to. "Uh, no it's ok. I understand. We don't have to be friends."

"But..." Neville begins.

"Yes?" Blaise asks, the tiny bit of hope he held onto fluttered inside him.

"I want to be friends... I'm just scared. You... You just make me feel nervous. Uh..." Neville finishes. 

"I'm sorry," Blaise says, giving Neville a soft glance. "I-if it makes you feel better... W-we can be slow friends, ya know. Maybe I can prove to you that I have good intentions." He suggests.

Neville looks up at him once more and cocks his head. Blaise smiles uncontrollably. 

"S-sure..." Neville says softly.

Blaise grins, "Don't worry, Nev, I'll be the most bestest friend you can ever have!" He says dramatically. Neville snorts behind him, making his heart swell and his lips curl up into an even bigger smile. 

This surely was a dream.


	16. Chapter 16

Draco's POV:

Draco watched as Blaise walked into the infirmary with a wide smile plastered upon his face. 

He assumed it was due to the candy. Blaise always loved Honeydukes.

"I brought you Every Flavor Beans!" Blaise announced. 

"Oh no, now I might have to taste bogey!" Draco whined.

Blaise chuckles and sits beside him before taking out a white-colored bean. He pops it into his mouth and gags.

"Dirty sock! Bleh!" He shouts, spitting it into the nearest trash bin. However, that slight smile still remained.

"What in the world are you grinning about?" Draco asks.

"What do you mean?" Blaise asks, taking another bean out of the box and popping it into his mouth.

"You just ate dirty sock and you're still smiling like a buffoon." 

"Ooh, strawberry!" Blaise says happily.

Draco groans, "Answer the bloody question!" 

"Good Merlin, fine!" Blaise sighs and leans in to whisper, "I hugged Neville... And we went to Honeydukes together."

"As a date?!" Draco whispers back, a smile slowly creeping on his face.

"Not exactly... But I can pretend." Blaise smirks.

"That's pretty sad." Draco jokes. 

"Not as sad as you accidentally proclaiming your love to Potter and ending up here because he thinks you're crazy," Blaise says, popping in another bean. "Ugh, ear wax!"

"Eww, get those away!" Draco shouts. 

"You didn't want any?" Blaise asks, holding out the box to Draco.

"No, those things are disgusting!" Draco shouts, pushing them away.

"Wait! I have cauldron cakes! Well, one. We can half it!" Blaise suggests.

Draco looks at the paper Blaise was holding earlier and notices it's a receipt. "It says you bought nine of them!" 

"They were Neville's!" Blaise replies.

"You're hopeless." Draco says, his eyes widening as he read on, "Are you trying to fatten him up?!" 

"No! I just wanted to buy him things." Blaise says. 

"Seriously, you are hopeless. Slytherin's don't go to Honeydukes and spend all their galleons on a boy." 

"He's not just a boy!" Blaise says, his brows furrowed in anger.

"Regardless, Slytherin's don't do that. If anything that's what Hufflepuff's do."

"Are you calling me a Hufflepuff?" Blaise asks, clearly offended. Draco couldn't help but smirk. 

"A hopeless, romantic little Hufflepuff. Whipped, as they say." Draco teases.

"Don't worry, whenever you and Potter get together I'll get you back."

Draco scoffs, "That'll never happen."

"Aww, is Draco sad about that? What a Hufflepuff." Blaise smirks. 

"Shut up!" Draco pushes him back, making Blaise giggle. 

"Uh, Draco?" A familiar voice spoke.

They both look towards the foot of the bed to see Harry standing there quietly.

"H-hey, Harry," Draco says nervously.

"Uh... How are you feeling? Did Madame Pomfrey discover what was wrong with you?" Harry asks.

"No, not yet. I'm feeling ok, though." He replies. Harry nods his head and glances at Blaise. 

"Hi..." Harry says quietly.

"What's up, Potter?" Blaise says with a smirk. Draco gives him a sharp glance, but Blaise only continues, "I heard Draco confessed his undying love to you." 

Harry stares at Blaise with wide eyes, "Uh... Not really undying. If Madame Pomfrey discovers what happened it'll be gone... Whatever it is. Wonder who spiked his drink." Harry says awkwardly.

"Personally, I don't think anyone spiked his drink," Blaise says, causing a confused look from Harry and a warning stare from Draco. 

"Uh, what-"

"Everyone out!" Madame Pomfrey says suddenly, "We have to do more tests."

Blaise grunts and leaves the infirmary with Harry following slowly behind. He silently thanked Madame Pomfrey and made a mental note to himself to get revenge on Blaise. He knew exactly how to.

"Alright, Draco, the tests for love potions all came back negative..." Madame Pomfrey says before giving him a knowing smile. He blushes heavily. "No need to feel ashamed. However, I do have a theory, which means we must test it, of course!"

"What's the theory?"

"Perhaps, I may be wrong... But maybe it's veritaserum." She informs him.

Draco gasps, "Professor Snape said he was missing veritaserum!"

Madame Pomfrey gasps as well, "I must speak to him. Be right back." With that, she speeded out of the infirmary, leaving Draco all alone to plan his revenge on Blaise.

***

Harry's POV:

Harry sat on the staircase thinking about what Blaise said. Perhaps it was just a friend messing with a friend.

He heard footsteps and looked up to see Neville carrying a big bag from Honeydukes. 

"Hey, Neville!" He said.

Neville looks up at him and nods, "Hey, Harry," He says softly. 

"What did you get from Honeydukes?" He asks him.

"Uh... Just a few things." Neville's face turned red.

"Wait... Were you out on a date?" Harry smirks, remembering how everyone was talking about Neville and Luna dating. 

"What?! No!" Neville almost shouts, his face now burning red. 

"You were, weren't you? Luna must be lucky."

"I'm not dating Luna, for Merlin's sake!" Neville shouts out.

Harry stares at him in shock. "I... I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you, Neville." 

"It's fine..." He replies awkwardly, covering up his chest with his arms. 

"Well, hopefully, you have fun with your candies!" Harry says with a smile.

"H-harry..." Neville says softly.

"Yeah?"

"I need advice..." Neville almost whispers.

"Of course!" Harry says.

Neville steps closer and says softly, "Uh... I have this person that wants to be my friend but has a bad reputation... He kinda frightens me... I want to be his friend too but I'm worried it's all a joke..." 

Harry felt sad for the boy in front of him. He never really got a break. "Well, who is it?"

"B-Blaise... Blaise Zabini." Neville replies. "I didn't mean to say that!" He shouts. 

Harry stares at him with surprise written on his face. Why is everyone suddenly saying things they don't mean to say? 

Neville shakes his head violently, "I'm an idiot!" He whispers. 

"Neville, calm down. You aren't an idiot. Listen, I'll talk to Blaise for you. You don't need to worry, ok? And if he messes with you again, tell me." Harry says and Neville nods. Harry smiles down at him. "I'll see you later, ok? I have things I have to do." 

He left after Neville gave him a nod and stomped towards the Slytherin dungeons. He held out the invisibility cloak he took from his school bag and put it on before continuing. 

He waits for a Slytherin to come along. Coincidentally enough, Blaise Zabini comes trotting down into the dungeon. 

"Holly berries," Blaise says and the entrance opens. Harry follows quickly behind them and tries to follow Blaise, only to get blocked by Pansy Parkinson and some Slytherin he knew nothing about.

"Are you sure you got veritaserum?" The boy asks.

"Yes, I'm definitely sure!" Pansy replies.

"Longbottom still hasn't done anything!"

"Great things take time, you wanker." Pansy replies.

Harry is baffled. They're the ones who took the potion?! Not to mention they're doing it all to humiliate Neville. He wonders if Blaise is in on it. He wouldn't put it past them.

The boy groans, "I can probably make him do something. Maybe make him confess to the whole class who he's in love with or if he wets the bed every night. Or both! I bet he does wet the bed." The boy chuckled. 

"To be honest, Xavier, I care nothing about Neville. It's my subject I care about, so shut it." Pansy demands.

"Who is your subject, oh mighty Parkinson?" 

"None of your business..." She stays silent for a while, "Ok, it's Draco." She blurts. 

"You were upset he didn't like you so you got your revenge... Huh, impressive." The boy replies.

"I just wanted a good laugh. I don't care too much for dating him anymore." Pansy says, grabbing a nearby book.

"When do you think we'll get to see it?" The boy asks.

"I suppose whenever we make the move. However, Draco is in the hospital wing. There's no way I could get it now. But maybe you could get your chance tomorrow?" 

"I'll definitely try." The boy smirks and is remains silent. Draco is on veritaserum? But that can't be right.

He sets off to the hospital wing once more.


	17. Chapter 17

Harry's POV:

Harry rushed into the hospital wing.

"Draco!" He says, catching Draco's attention immediately.

"What, Potter?" Draco asks.

"You... Are... On..." He struggles to catch his breath, "Veritaserum." 

Draco looks at him with wide eyes, "Oh... Uh... Harry, I meant all that I said. No!" He groans in frustration. "How many brain cells do I have?!"

Harry chuckles softly, "Uh... I guess being seen as attractive is a compliment? So... It's ok." 

Draco blushes heavily. This is terribly awkward. "Uh... Yeah." Draco laughs awkwardly.

Does this mean Draco likes boys? Is that why he got so upset when Harry joked about it? "Uh... Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Does this mean... You're gay?" He mutters. Draco simply stares at the blanket. "Well... I-if you are that's ok..."

"I don't need your pity, Potter." Draco sneers. 

Harry stares at him, suddenly feeling the urge to right hook the boy just as Hermione did in third year. "Say that one more time, I dare you." 

Draco scoffs, "What will you do if I do say it, huh?" 

Harry gulps. He didn't expect that question. "Uh..."

Draco smirks at him, making him feel a strange swirling feeling in his stomach and shivers down his spine. He noticed the great contrast of Draco's skin and his lip color. His lips were pale pink whereas his skin was pale white. It was quite attractive, really. They looked so soft, his lips. However, so did his hair. He never noticed how silky it looked even without the gel. 

A part of him just wanted to reach over, stroke his hair, then lean in and-

"Hey, Draco!" Harry snapped his head over to see Blaise Zabini sporting a cheeky smile. 

He sneered. "Are you serious?" He asked him.

"What do you mean?" Blaise asked. His 'innocence' was rather hysterical. He wasn't going to get away with this.

"You know what happened! Don't act like you don't know. You're Pansy's friend, after all, not to mention a Slytherin."

"What the bloody hell are you on about, Potter?!" Blaise shouts.

"Pansy spiked his drink with veritaserum! Not only him, though, Neville as well! But it's not like you would care. I bet you're in on it." Harry sneers once more. 

Blaise stares at him and Harry smirks. He got him. "What?!"

"Yeah, I heard them talking! Pansy and some Xavier guy. They plan to humiliate them both! What a great friend you are!" Harry shouts. 

"Oh, so two Slytherins do something wrong and all of the sudden it's all of us?!" Blaise shouts. 

"Not all of you, just three of you. I mean, come on! You're playing with Neville! You're making him think you wanna be his friend when really you're just planning to humiliate him! How revolting!" Harry shouts.

Blaise raises his eyebrows and lowers them before shaking his head with a soft chuckle. "You know nothing, Potter."

"You think I know nothing?!" Harry shouts.

"You really don't," Draco mutters. Harry snaps his head towards him and looks at him with wide eyes. "Honestly, Potter, it's possible that Pansy could've done that. However, you can't say Blaise did it. At that point, you're just assuming. Assuming mostly that all Slytherins have bad motives. That there is revolting." Draco finishes. 

Harry suddenly feels depressed. Just knowing that Draco found him revolting made him feel strange. It never bothered him before, but this time it just feels terrible.

Harry glances back and forth to Blaise and Draco before finally speaking up, "Just know that if you mess with Neville, me and all of Gryffindor will kick your arse." 

Blaise scoffs, "Are you serious?!" Blaise steps closer to him, "You really think you're such a savior. When really you're anything but that! Neville is picked on every day and you don't do anything! None of Gryffindors do anything! Yet you expect them to stick up for him if I happened to mess with him?! How thick can you be?! They won't do it for Neville, but they surely will do it for you because you're the Golden Boy and all Nev gets is a sack of shit thrown at his face every day..." Blaise narrows his eyes, "Fuck you, Potter." He spits. 

Harry looks at him in shock. Why did Blaise look so passionate about this?! He looks at Draco who is simply shaking his head at him. 

Harry sighs, "H-" He grunts softly and walks out. 

***

Draco's POV:

"I can't believe him! How insulting! I'd never lay a finger on Neville!" Blaise shouts.

"We both know that... It's just a Gryffindor thing. Merlin, it's embarrassing that I like him." Draco mutters.

Blaise sighs loudly, "Even Neville thinks I'd harm him... I just can't believe it! The audacity to claim he's going to care for Neville when he doesn't even bat an eye when someone picks on him!"

"It's alright, Blaise, you'll prove yourself soon enough. I really hate Gryffindors." Draco groans. 

"Not Neville, though," Blaise says.

Draco scoffs, "Of course, we can't hate little Neville." 

Blaise rolls his eyes, "You'll never understand the extent of how innocent he is! He isn't your typical Gryffindor." Blaise sighs dreamily. 

Draco chuckles at him, "Whipped."

"Shut up!" Blaise shouts. He stays silent for a while until he perks up, "Wait! That evil little-"

"What's wrong?"

"Pansy! She's trying to humiliate Nev!"

"Nev?! What the hell is that?!" Draco teases.

"Not the time!" Blaise stands up and rushes out of the hospital wing leaving Draco to himself.

He kept replaying in his mind what Harry said. He really thought Slytherin's were all that bad? Is Draco just some demon from hell to Harry? 

As if on cue, Harry comes walking into the hospital wing once more. "Draco, I need to talk to you."

"What now, Potter? Are you going to say I'm some evil-"

"No... I'm coming to apologize. It was wrong of me to assume things I didn't know about. Blaise actually seemed genuine... Maybe it's too soon to come back here, but I felt really terrible."

"What about Blaise? Where is his apology?" Draco asks, folding his arms across his chest.

"It'll definitely come to him. It's just... Slytherins wanting to be friends with a Gryffindor is strange. Neville even came to me for advice on whether or not to be Blaise's friend."

"Really now?" Draco smirks.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing it's just... Blaise is uh, he might kill me for this, but he has this massive undying love for Neville." Draco informs with a smirk.

Harry scoffs, "Get off it!" 

"I'm telling the truth! Look, I'll prove it to you. Next time Blaise is here I'll say it just so you'll see his reaction." Draco says. 

Harry sighs, "Fine." 

"Great! Just don't forget to apologize first." Draco reminds.

Harry suddenly gets silent and stares at the floor, "Y-you said the other day that... You like me." 

Draco stares at the floor as well, "Uh... N..." He struggles to say no until finally, "Yes."

Harry stares at him with wide eyes, "Uh..." 

"I'm sorry, Harry," Draco says, diverting his eyes from Harry's.

Harry is silent for a while and then Draco feels a warm hand reach his cheek.

Draco's stomach swirls and he leans into Harry's palm. He didn't have time to comprehend what was happening.

The hand reaches his hair and runs through it. Draco sighs in content. 

"You know... You are quite beautiful." Harry whispers.

Draco slowly looks over at Harry and jumps a little at how close they are. 

Harry smiles at him, cupping his cheek and leaning forward.

"W-we could try to..." He whispers, "We can try it..." He leans in even closer, licking his lips slightly. 

Draco felt his whole body heat up and go stiff. This isn't real. 

Harry gets so close he can feel his breath on his lips. They were mere inches away. 

Without thinking, Draco whispers, "Kiss me," 

Harry obeys, closing the gap between them and kissing him softly and slowly. Draco was in heaven. 

He groans in pleasure and snakes his arm around Harry's waist. He could feel Harry smile against his lips.

Draco's mind kept yelling at him to stop, that this was utter madness, but he couldn't. His body wanted more and he couldn't move away. 

He pulls Harry closer as their lips move in sync. 

Harry moves away and struggles to catch his breath. He lays his forehead against Draco's. 

"Wow," Harry whispers. 

Draco smirks, "You're great at that."

"Uh... Thanks." Harry chuckles awkwardly. "Sorry if I made things weird."

"No, you didn't," Draco says with a smile.

"Great," Harry says. Draco leans forward and pecks Harry's lips one more time. He watches as Harry smiles wide.

They hear footsteps and quickly moves away. 

"Oh, hi, Mr. Potter!" Madame Pomfrey says happily. 

"I... I was just leaving." Harry says nervously.

"No matter! I was just about to tell you to leave." Madame Pomfrey chuckles, "I'm just kidding." 

Harry chuckles nervously. They both share a blush upon their cheeks.


	18. Chapter 18

Draco's POV:

Draco jolts up in his bed and sees Blaise beside him. "When did you get here?"

"Oh, not that long ago. I was going to wake you but Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let me." Blaise sighs. 

"Did you talk to Neville about the veritaserum thing?" Draco asks.

"I tried, but it's all Potter's fault that he won't talk to me now." Blaise groans. 

"He will apologize to you and I will make him get you back on good terms with Neville." Draco promises.

"He better." Blaise says angrily before popping a bean from yesterday into his mouth. 

As if on cue, Harry walks into the hospital wing. "Hey, I just told Hermione to get Neville down here. We need to get the potion out of his system." 

Blaise didn't even glance up at Harry but instead rolled his eyes and angrily ate his beans. "Ugh! Really?! Grass?!" Blaise exclaims. 

"Hey, uh, Blaise?" Harry says.

"What, golden boy?" Blaise mocks. 

"I'm sorry." Harry says, looking straight into Blaise's eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." 

Draco smirks, he knows it's the time. "Blaise is just mad because you thought he'd ever even think about hurting his boyfriend." 

Blaise shots his head up and gives Draco a glare.

"Boyfriend?" Harry asks with a small smirk on his face as well.

"Well, he wants it to be that way."

"No, I don't! Don't be sick!" Blaise shouts.

"But just the other day you were ranting about how amazing Neville is. How much you just wish-" Draco is cut off by Blaise covering his hand over his mouth. 

"He's crazy." Blaise says, struggling against Draco's efforts to push him away. 

However, they are both quickly stopped when Hermione comes through the door with a distraught Neville. His hair was a mess and the bags under his eyes were gray. 

"Woah, you alright?" Harry asks him. 

"No!" Neville exclaims. He stares at the floor for a bit until his breath begins to grow louder and louder and faster and faster. Slow tears began streaming down his face.

Blaise shots up from his chair and rushes towards him, but Neville steps away, avoiding Blaise's touch. 

"Neville, it's nothing, they'll forget about it!" Hermione promises.

Neville violently shakes his head, "No, no, no they won't! I've humiliated myself! My life is over!" Neville nearly screams. 

"Neville, it's-" Blaise says but is quickly cut off.

"Don't talk to me! You're just here to ruin my life like the rest of them! I don't want to be your friend and I never will want to be your friend!" Neville shouts through tears, "I knew it was all a trick!" Blaise stares at the floor without another word.

"Neville calm down." Harry says calmly. 

Everyone was so focused on Neville that only Draco noticed Blaise silently sneak out of the room. 

Draco did the only thing he knew to do: follow him. Who cares what Madame Pomfrey would say?

He walked out to see Blaise walking fast towards the steps and he runs towards him. 

"Blaise!" He calls after. 

"What do you want?" He groans.

"I'm sure he is just upset." Draco says. 

Blaise narrows his eyes at him, "Aren't you supposed to be in that bed until they figure out what's wrong with you?" 

"We already know what's wrong with me." Draco states.

"Just... go back to the hospital wing... I need some space." Blaise says, walking away without another word.

Draco sighs and does just that. What shocked him was that when he came back, Neville had somewhat calmed down. He was rocking back and forth as Hermione sang him a song. Harry notices him and rushes towards Draco and pulls him into the hall.

"What is going on?" Draco asks.

"Well... I'm sure you'll know soon... the whole school will so... one of the Slytherins started pestering him about a lot of things and well... being under veritaserum you can see where this is going." Harry sighs. 

"Oh no. What did he say?" Draco asks worriedly. 

"He told him his insecurities about his body, told him about his parents, even told him all about his fears. They began to tease him about it... all of the people around him. Geez it's terrible." Harry sighs once more. 

Draco couldn't help but feel sorry for Neville. But pity wasn't the only thing he felt. He felt empathy. Something like that happening to Draco would shake his whole world and he'd never be able to face his father or the school ever again. 

***

Blaise's POV:

The next day was just as expected. Everyone and their mother was talking about Neville Longbottom. Luckily for Neville, he was no where to be seen. 

Blaise tried to shut it all out, but he just couldn't. He couldn't stop himself from hearing every word. 

"His parents are in the nut house!" Xavier chuckled, "And he cries about how bad he is at dancing and how his teeth looks. We can really get him with this shit!" Xavier laughs. 

Goyle joins in, "Good because the little prat deserves some shit thrown at him. He can't even put in a simple ingredient in the potion. That idiot almost ruined my whole grade! What a halfwit!" He shouts. 

"That reminds me! He also said how self-conscious he feels in potions because he can't measure things correctly and how worried he is about never finding a wife. How lame is that?"

"I wish he told us he wet the bed." Crabbe says with a laugh. 

"Who cares? We can spread that around too! Right, Blaise?" Xavier says. 

Blaise didn't even process what was being said, he just simply nodded and stared at his plate. 

"You wanna know what he said about you, Blaisey-boo?" Veronica Melden asked. 

Blaise's head suddenly shoots up, "What?"

Veronica giggles, "It's so embarrassing. Apparently your ways of making him think you want to be friends with him are working. He told Xavier how worried he is that you're lying to him and that all he wants is to have a real friend like Blaisey." Veronica mocked. "Honestly, if that's how he thinks, I bet we can make everyone think he has a crush on you."

"All great ideas, but don't forget we need to make sure we don't forget his little fear." Xavier smirks.

"What is his fear?" Blaise asks nervously. He feels as if he should leave, stand up and run out of the great hall, but his legs wouldn't move. 

"You'll never believe it! It's Professor Snape!" Crabbe announces. 

"Wait! Did you tell Blaise what happened when we started talking about him?" Veronica asks.

Xavier chuckles, "Right! How could I forget?! So, we heard about his little wishful admiration of you and we told him you told us you'd rather eat shit than be seen with him and how disgusted you were when we talked about him with you. You should've seen his face! I think he was about to cry." Xavier finishes shaking his head. "How could anyone so weak be in Gryffindor?" 

"Honestly, I'm surprised he still goes here? Isn't he a squib?" Another boy who was in fourth year asks. 

"No, but he fears he is." Xavier informs. 

All of this was too much to take in for Blaise. Luckily for him, breakfast had soon ended and it was time to go to his first class. He didn't expect to see Neville, yet there he was staring straight at his desk. 

A Slytherin came up to Neville and whispered something to him and walking away with a proud grin on their face. What worried him most was that Neville didn't react, he just stared at the desk. 

He quietly makes his way to sit towards him and plops himself in the seat beside him. "Hi." Blaise says softly. Neville, once again, didn't react whatsoever. "Did Madame Pomfrey fix you up? I noticed Draco was in our common room this morning so..." 

Still, not once response, not even a shift of his body. He told himself not to panic, but all he could feel was panic. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Snape slammed the door open and stood at the front of the class. "Turn to page 394." Snape demanded. They all did so, even Neville. Even though he wouldn't speak, this small movement made Blaise almost jump up in happiness and get on his knees thanking Merlin. However, something still felt very off.

He looked at the page and saw the words: Dreamless Sleep Potion. 

"As you may have guessed, this is what we will be brewing today. Grab your ingredients and get to work." Snape demanded once more.

"I'll go get the ingredients." As much as it bothered Blaise to leave Neville alone near a bunch of Slytherins, especially now, he was worried what would happen if he made Neville move from his seat. 

When he came back he could hear someone say from the back of the class, "Let's hope Neville can measure this time!"

Another voice came in from behind him, "He's too stupid. Or perhaps he's just too nervous around his little crush." 

"Quiet down!" Snape shouts, "Now, bring Honeywater to a simmer in your cauldron."

Both Blaise and Neville grabbed for the spoon at the same time. Their hands brush and Blaise could notice Neville's breath hitch. 

Neville quickly moves his hand away and shortly glances at Blaise with a look of anxiety. 

Neville quickly grabs an ingredient and pours it into the potion. As he stirs, the steam gets bigger and bigger and the bubbles grow higher and higher. 

"Neville, what did you put in there?" Blaise asks nervously.

"Moly plants..."

"Oh no! Neville that was supposed to come way later!" Blaise shouts. Suddenly, the cauldron explodes and the potion sprays all over the classroom. Luckily for them, the potion had no effect. However, they were all covered in smelly potion ingredients and so was their books. 

"Dimwhit." remarks the Slytherin behind them who was now covered in potion. 

Neville simply sighs. Professor Snape speaks up, "Longbottom, you just earned a deduction of fifty points for your idiotcy! If that potion would've had an effect we would've all been in grave danger! What were you thinking?!" 

"I a-apologize, Professor." Neville stutters quietly.

"Everyone except Longbottom, get out." Snape demands. 

Blaise stays behind for a little while the rest walk out, up until Snape shouts, "Out!"

Blaise gives Neville a sad look, to which he only stares at his desk, before walking away.


	19. Chapter 19

Draco's POV:

Draco sat on the bed across from Harry. The silence had lasted ever since he had gotten back from the hospital wing and it was deafening. 

"I... I'm glad you're safe." Harry speaks.

Draco nods in response then the room goes silent once more. Draco debates in his head for a while on whether to ask the question, then he finally decides it would help. "What's wrong?"

Harry's head pops up, "Huh? Oh... nothing I just..." He sighs, "I don't know who I am now." He nearly whispers.

"What do you-"

"Draco... I'm sorry about the other night. We shouldn't have, we really shouldn't have. We can just go back to the way things normally were." Harry says.

"What?!" Draco asks.

"Yeah! I mean, surely it didn't mean anything. I mean, perhaps the veritaserum was messed up... there is no way we'd like each other. Right?" Harry asks.

"Right." Draco responds without a second word. "I mean, nothing felt really true in that moment, but I kept spilling it all out... I guess it was the wrong potion..." He feels so many emotions at once. Anger, sadness, disappointment, but most of all confusion. What in Harry's right mind made him think this way? Maybe he is just trying to convince himself it never happened? Maybe Harry hated it? "I have to go talk to... Pansy." Draco says. Harry nods in response and he grabs his satchel and heads off. 

As he's walking he hears soft sobbing. He follows the sound and is met with a distraught Neville with tears covering his face. 

"Longbottom?" Draco says.

Neville looks at him quickly before grabbing his stuff and speeding away. 

"Longbottom!" Draco shouts, but it helps nothing. Now Draco really did need to talk to someone.

***

Neville's POV (minutes earlier):

"Do you ever do anything right?!" Professor Snape shouts. "You do understand that you could've killed us all with your ignorant choices?! What were you thinking?! The more you do this the more points you lose! I have had it with you! Next time, let Blaise do the potion. Maybe then you won't mess everything up like you always do." Snape slams Neville's book onto his desk, making Neville jump. "Get out." He demands. Neville obeys almost instantly and grabs his things in a hurry and sprints out of the classroom.

What Snape said rings in his head. He really does mess everything up. He really is stupid. He finds a bench and plops onto it. The more the words ring in his head, the worse he feels. Why did he think he could do all of that on his own? Maybe he should've stopped moping around and let Blaise do the potion. Maybe then everything would be fine. Maybe then he wouldn't have made things worse. Maybe if he wasn't such a loser he would have friends. So many things he should've changed from day one that are the source of all his problems now. The only way he knows how to make the problems go away and make his feelings disappear is food. It's the only thing that kills his mind. What else can he do, drink firewhiskey?! Definitely not. His grandmother would have his head! Blaise made it go away for a short while whenever they were together, but that wasn't real. He just wanted to make him look like a fool. Perhaps he knew all about Neville's horrible relationship with food. That might be why he bought him all that candy. He hated himself for eating all of it in one day. 

Now he could hear Leona Spickle calling him "fat" from the Slytherin table just behind him. Now that they all knew his insecurites there was no way it would stop. Considering Blaise has done nothing to take up for him just confirms his suspicions. He was such an idiot! 

His eyes began to burn the more he thought and thought about how much of an idiotic loser he was, the more tears began to form. Usually he can hold it in, but this time it didn't work. He felt like he was sobbing for hours, up until he heard his name being called. 

He looked up and... oh no. Not another one! Draco Malfoy stood at the bottom of the hall staring at him. Without a second thought he ran away and fast. Draco called after him, but he didn't stop. He found himself in front of the Hufflepuff common room, wondering how he turned up here. 

"Hi, Neville!" said Hannah Abbott in front of him.

"Oh... hi Hannah..." He responded. 

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"Oh... I was just trying to find..." He sighs. 

"You wanna talk about it?" Hannah asks. Neville nods sadly and Hannah grabs his hand, "Come on," She turns to the wall, "Jelly belly." The wall spreads apart and Hannah leads him into the room.

***

Draco's POV:

"Blaise!" Draco shouts as he gets into his old dorm.

"Draco!" shouts Crabbe and Goyle.

He sighs, "I need to talk to you." Goyle perks up, "Blaise, not you guys."

They both roll their eyes and continue to talk amongst themselves.

Draco grabs his wand and says softly, "Muffliato." 

"What is it?" Blaise asks.

"Well it's two things, one is about Harry and the other about Neville." At the mention of Neville's name, Blaise's eyebrows raise. 

"Is everything ok?" Blaise asks.

"Well..." Draco sighs, "I don't know. See, when I got back to my dorm, it was completely silent between me and Harry until today when he said we should 'just go back to normal' and that the kiss meant nothing." Draco finishes staring at the covers of Blaise's bed.

"I'm sorry Draco." Blaise says, patting Draco on the shoulder. 

"That's not all that happened today. I went out to you know... get away from Harry and well... I saw Neville. He was... sobbing. I tried to get his attention but he ran away as soon as he saw me. I don't know where he went. He certainly didn't go in the direction of the Gryffindor common room." Draco informs.

"Oh no." Blaise says, putting his head in his hands. "You and Harry weren't there today but... Snape asked to see Neville when we were all out of the classroom. He... well... he made the potion explode today."

Draco snickers, to which Blaise gives him a glare. "What?! It's funny."

"No it isn't! You should've seen his face. People constantly make remarks at him and he just seemed completely out of it. He didn't talk once or look at me. Well... maybe he did once but, he didn't speak at all. I'm still worried." Blaise exhales and places his chin into his hand.

"Well... maybe you can try to talk to him?" Draco asks.

"I don't know if that will work. I tried to talk to him in class and he didn't say a word. Maybe he hates me now."

"No way! Just, try to explain how you feel. Maybe even tell him you like him." Draco suggests.

"No... he'd think I'm lying. Besides, it won't be true because well... it's more than like. But if I said I love him then that would just be worse. He'd think I'm some freak." 

Draco rolls his eyes. "He's single! Seriously, what's the worst that will happen? It's not like he has some powerful girlfriend who will hex you and look on the brightside, it can make you feel better!"

"But it's almost Christmas... I'll ruin his holiday!" 

"Blaise!" Draco shouts, making Blaise jump. 

"Fine! But you have to tell Harry how you feel." Blaise says.

"Fine... Deal?" Draco holds his hand out.

Blaise smirks and shakes it. "Deal."


	20. Chapter 20

Blaise's POV:

Blaise walks down the hall, trying to find where Neville was. The Hufflepuff said he went this way, Hufflepuff's don't lie, right? Surely he was right. But, that didn't make him feel any better. Far down the hall he watched as Hannah Abbott and his one true love hold hands while Hannah lays her head on his shoulder. First he felt nothing, then a wave of sadness washed over him. He can't cry, especially not in front of Neville. Not in front of anyone! Slytherin's don't cry. 

He walks as fast as he can away from the scene, only to walk ever faster as anger began to creep into him. 

He stops in front of a door and slams his fist on the wood multiple times. 

"What the-" the door swings open, "Woah! You look like you're about to murder someone!" says a terrified Draco in front of him. 

"Get out here, now." Blaise demands.

Draco steps out. "What is wrong with you?"

"Look, I'm sorry if I shout at you. I just really want to scream and punch something!" Blaise shouts. Draco quickly cast muffliato as he listens to Blaise. "I was trying to get our deal done, you know, tell Neville how I feel. I was walking down the hall and there they fucking were! Abbott got there before me! Granted, I knew I had no chance but now there is no way I can possibly tell him now! First Luna, which wasn't actually anything... And now Hannah?! How is it that nothing ever goes my way?! I was born with a mother who pays me no attention and will buy her damn boyfriend some food and leave me to eat stale leftovers. I had to learn how to cook for myself! Now the one thing that I thought could bring me happiness slips out of my fingers! Why is it always me?!" Blaise sighs before continuing, "But most of all, I hate myself! I hate myself for hating them together! I should be happy for them! I love him for Merlin's sake, but... I don't know." He sighs once more, "I want to cry but I also want to hex her into oblivion. I don't know maybe me and him were never meant to be." Blaise says, finally calming down and plopping down on the floor below him. "Maybe I'm not meant for anyone. Wow I really am embarrassing myself now."

"No, not at all." Draco sits beside him, "I wanna let you know something that no one else knows. For years I've been seen as this perfect boy with this perfect family when really... I'm none of that. I mess up everything I do and I just can't seem to gain my father's love. My mother's, maybe, but she barely has time for me. Whenever my father does or says something, she doesn't pay much attention and she doesn't seem to care either. I'm just some invisible boy walking the house. Unless it's my father of course... he always notices me... but not in the way I'd hope."

"What do you mean?" Blaise asks him.

"My father, he... He has very high expectations. Ones that I really can't meet. I'm expected to know every polite rule in the book from birth, always look polished, never gain any weight, marry a girl, carry on the Malfoy name... When I don't meet these expectations or I do something he dislikes..." Draco sighs and fails to finish his sentence. 

"I think I know what you mean... but I don't want to assume anything." Blaise says.

"What do you assume?" Draco says softly.

"Your father gets... violent... doesn't he?" Blaise guesses. "I'm sorry if I just offended your family if I'm wrong."

"No... you didn't." Draco says quietly. Blaise notices a rare tear fall from Draco's eye.

Blaise hesitates before asking, "Is that where all the... bruises come from? You aren't really falling?" 

"No." Draco says and sniffs. "I bloody hate myself. I'm sitting here on this nasty floor crying over my pitiful life and fawning over some idiot and spilling my secrets to a Slytherin. I really am a weak dimwitted failure." 

"You aren't, you can't be! It just isn't possible. You're a Slytherin! You're strong, Draco. I can see that in you. You're not like Filch, that's for sure. Don't put yourself down. And don't forget that I am your friend. If they don't care and if that dud in there doesn't care, then I will. You can count me on that. You can always come to me when you need someone, whether that is someone to rant to or a friend, I'm here. I will never ever not keep that promise." Blaise says. 

Draco smiles a certain smile Blaise hasn't seen before. He couldn't explain it, but it felt so special. Something so authentic from Draco just didn't exist, unless it was anger or one of those rare tears. But a smile this authenic just wasn't possible to be seen on Draco, until now. 

"Thank you." Draco says, looking up at Blaise with the smile still plastered onto his face. "And, Blaise?" Blaise raises his eyebrow in response, "Talk to me whenever you need to and if you need someone to smuggle you some food from the house elves before the year ends." Draco smiles wider.

"Definitely." Blaise smiles back.

"I wanna know more about your life at home, if you don't mind." 

"Of course I don't. I can finally get it out to someone! It weighs down on you a lot when you hold it in for so long." Blaise says and Draco nods in agreement. "Ever since my father divorced my mother, my mother has refused to let him see me because he's some dangerous criminal or something. Although, I'm not sure if I trust her... she lies about everything. I've even caught her in a lie and she still lied to my face. Then this boyfriend comes into our lives and starts telling me what I can and can't do and telling my mother I'm doing stuff that I'm not. He once told her he found me in Knockturn Alley and she screamed at me for it for two days! She still believes him over me. As time went on she began to give him all he wants and ignoring me. He's the first to be taken care of and I'm expected to do everything myself. When he cries, my mother stops whatever she is going and runs right to him and tends to his every need. When I cry I'm told to suck it up, grow up and stop being a baby. I always felt so dull and lifeless. It felt like nothing could possibly make me happy again, not even playing on a broomstick or messing with a toy bludger. All the childhood wonder died ."

"Until you met Neville." Draco sings.

Blaise playfully rolls his eyes, "Yeah," He chuckles. "Well, even when I did meet Neville I still didn't feel anything. Then one day I just started thinking about him and how clumsy and shy he is. Every little thing he did played in my mind. That was the first time in a while that I truly smiled. I really thought I just paid him that much attention because I wanted to find a way to prank him you know, mess with him a little. Well, that's how it started, then it just turned into me observing him, then admiring him. Funny how those things work." 

"How long did you feel this way about him?" Draco asks.

"Since late in fourth year. At least that's when I realized that my observing was turning into something weird that I didn't understand. Then, during the summer I realized I had a crush on him. That ruined me for months until I finally accepted it. Then one day... the feelings just got so strong and he couldn't possibly be described as a simple crush anymore. That ruined me for months as well... Now here I am again, ruined by it. But I'll never forget how it felt to think about him. It made all those problems wash away for a while and I dreamt while I was awake. While my life was miserable, just knowing I'd get to see Neville again made me want to stay alive." Blaise finishes, worried he just gave out too much information. 

Draco's next words confirmed that he really did say too much. "Stay alive? You don't mean to tell me that all this has made you... not want to live?" 

"Forget I said anything." 

"Don't take this the wrong way. I understand what you're going through. Sometimes I wonder... if I wasn't alive anymore then maybe I wouldn't have to deal with all of this. Maybe I wouldn't be forced to do things I don't want to and be someone I'm not and maybe... maybe I wouldn't worry about feeling loved. Everything would just go away." Draco admits, almost seeming to talk to himself more than Blaise. 

"I feel the same way." Blaise says, pulling his legs up to his chest and holding them there.

Draco sighs, "Thank you for being my friend."

"Thank you for being my friend." Blaise says with a sad smile. They both embrace each other in a tight hug and Blaise can feel Draco softly sobbing, but he doesn't say a word. Instead, he begins to sob with him. After all, this is the first real hug he has gotten since he was five years old.


	21. Chapter 21

Neville's POV:

"So..." Hannah said, still holding his hand, "Now that you know I like you... do you like me back?" 

Neville thought for a while. Well, he does think she is pretty, but he can't tell if he likes her. The only crush he had was way back in first year and it was Katie Bell. But even he got over that pretty quickly. Then comes the question of, well what even is a crush? But then he realized, if he didn't try now he may never find love ever.

"Well... I don't know. But I'd like to maybe... try to be together. Maybe we can go to the Yule Ball together next week?" Neville suggests.

Hannah looks slightly dissapointed but she still smiles. "Of course! I'd love to see how we would work out. Maybe this can also get those Slytherins off your back." 

"Yeah," He chuckles half-heartedly. He sure does hope it gets the Slytherins to stop saying he has a crush on Blaise. After all, it's just ridiculous. Although, all the rumors really are making him question things but he always has the peace of knowing that he really doesn't like Blaise at all. Especially after he tricked him. 

"Well, I have to get back to the Hufflepuffs. See you later, yeah?" Hannah says, smiling at him. 

"Yeah." Neville smiles back. 

She hesitantly leans towards him and kisses him on the cheek. "Bye, Neville." Hannah says happily and skips away. 

He sighs and walks off. Why did he still feel so terrible? Hannah was nice to him and actually seemed to like him, at least he hoped so. He trusts far too much. Yet, even when someone expresses care for him he still feels nothing, nothing at all expect dispair. 

He gets back to the Gryffindor common room entrance, only to realize he has once again forgotten the password. 

He sighs and leans against the wall, waiting for someone to come by and open it up for him. 

"Hey, Neville!" Seamus says, coming up the stairs with Dean. As soon as they step off, the staircase moves behind them. 

"Can you let me in, please?" Neville begs.

"Sure thing." Seamus says with a smile. "Hey, fat lady!" Seamus says, turning to the entrance of the common room. 

"I was concentrating!" The fat lady says, her pitch so high it nearly broke your ears.

"No need to get so mad. I just wanted to greet you." Seamus says, rolling his eyes.

"The password?! Quickly, please!" The fat lady scolds. Neville finally gets the strength to stand up and sighs softly. 

"Blueberry nougat." Dean says, his voice lacking any emotion. The fat lady opens the portal without another word and as they all step inside the common room Dean speaks, "Merlin, it's almost time for the Yule ball and I still don't have a date!" 

"Me neither... Hey, Neville, you got a date yet?" Seamus asks, a crooked smile plastered on his face.

"Maybe... I haven't asked her yet." Neville replies, staring at his shoes.

"Who?!" Dean asks excitedly. 

"Oh... Uh, H-Hannah Abbott." Neville says shyly.

"No way! I mean, she stares your way all the time, I'm sure you have a chance." Dean encourages.

"Well... We, uh, just started dating so." Neville replies quietly. Well, maybe he shouldn't have said that.

"Way to go, Nev!" Seamus says, patting him on the back. 

His face heats up as he remembers Blaise smiling down at him and calling him 'Nev.' It was terribly embarrassing. It was even worse that he felt this strange twisting feeling in his stomach. 

"Yeah, good job!" Dean smiles at Neville widely and he reaches across the wooden table and into the jar filled with red and white circular peppermints, grabbing one and popping it into his mouth. 

"Th-thanks." Neville says, smiling fakely. "Well, I... I am going to bed now." 

A "Goodnight, Nev!" and a "Sleep well, Neville!" were heard from Seamus and Dean at the same time as Neville stalked up the steps and toward his dorm room. 

Neville was shocked to find Harry sitting right on his old bed and staring blankly at a book in front of him, "Harry!"

"Hi." Harry replied without looking up. 

"I thought you were roomates with Draco." Neville says. 

"They thought we were getting along and decided it was time to move us back." Harry replies without emotion.

"You alright?" Neville asks. 

"Yeah." says Harry, "Are you alright?"

Neville sighs, "I guess." 

Harry momentarily looks away from his book to give Neville a glance of curiousity. "Which means?"

"N-nothing... I'm fine." Neville says. "Just... w-worried about the Yule ball." He lies. But, in all reality, he didn't know why he felt this way.

"Oh..." Harry trails off, now looking worried himself.

"Well... goodnight." Neville says, climbing into his bed and covering himself up with his thin, skinny blanket. He'd had it for years, so he never threw it away. However, he did still wish he had something better to cover himself with, but his grandmother didn't have the money to buy a better one, at least not at the moment. The most they could buy was food and the cost to stay in their home. 

"Goodnight." Harry sighs. 

***

Blaise's POV:

"It was terribly awkward." Draco complains as they step down towards the dungeon. "We would just sit there until bedtime in silence. At least before that whole little event happened, there was at least arguing to fill the silence. I'm just glad they came back to tell us to go back to our dorms before the day ended. I thought I would lose my mind." 

Blaise chuckles, "I could feel that as soon as you two passed me. I'm just glad we're in the same dorm again. Crabbe and Goyle were driving my last nerve away." 

"That's a strange way to put it, but sounds accurate." He turns to the entrance, "Holly berries!" It opens up to reveal a group of Slytherins gossiping on the couch, including Pansy Parkinson. 

She sees Draco and smirks. Blaise was once again furious. He would always shoot angry looks at Pansy, but never was willing to talk to her about what she had done... until now. Perhaps Draco's sassiness and irritability was running off to him. 

"I'll meet you in the dorm, I have to speak to Pansy." Blaise says, a stern look prominent on his face despite his calm tone. 

"Go defend your man!" Draco whispers. Blaise rolls his eyes playfully and walks over to Pansy as Draco makes his way upstairs. 

"Parkinson, may I speak to you." Blaise says, arms crossed against his chest.

Pansy gives his an innocent smile, "Sure, Mr. Zabini!" She says sarcastically and walks past Blaise and towards a velvet green chair on the other side of the room. "So, what is this about?"

"Veritaserum." Blaise says, narrowing his eyes at her. 

"What ever do you mean, Mr. Zabini?" She smirks.

"You know what I mean, you evil little-"

"Why are you so angry, huh? It's not like it was you. It was just Draco and that weirdo Longbottom." Pansy shrugs. 

Blaise clenches his fist, which somewhat calmed his nerves. "I'm still mad at you!"

"Aww, that's so sad! I might cry!" Pansy sticks her lip out in a pout.

"This is serious!" Blaise nearly shouts.

"Ok, ok! Keep your voice down, temper tantrum." Pansy rolls her eyes and leans back in the chair. "Seriously though, why are you so upset. You never cared about this stuff before." 

"You could've destroyed Ne-Draco's life! Do you have any regret at all?!" Blaise holds his hands out in rage. 

"Hmm.... Nope! Besides, I had a valid reason."

"Yeah, what was that?" 

"Well, I get the joy of seeing Draco spill all his secrets to Potter, then Potter tells the whole school and bam! Perfect plan." Pansy smirks. "You should be happy! Remember when Draco threw your remembral at the wall and shattered it. You were pretty upset." The truth was, the remembral was for Neville, not him. 

Blaise sighs, "What about..." Crap, he can't ask that. "Snape's anger about the veritaserum being gone..." That sounded pretty lame.

Pansy glances up at him suspiciously, which makes his heart race. 'She knows, she knows!' He thought, his eyes darting anywhere but at her face.

"What were you gonna say, Blaisey?" Pansy asks with a smirk.

"I was gonna say that... It was wrong for you to do that to Draco..." Blaise says quickly. "You should apologize." 

"Wow, I didn't know Blaise had such empathy for other people." Pansy says, a mischievious grin wide on her face. 

"Whatever. Goodnight." Blaise says, walking away as quickly as possible. He can't let her know how he really feels, how he truly thinks. 

He swings the dorm room door open, "Hi, Blaise!" Crabbe shouts, "Wanna play Wizard's Chess?" 

"No thanks." Blaise says, trying to hide his irritation but miserably fails. 

"Geez, we were just asking." Crabbe retorts, moving a chess piece only to have it destroyed by Goyle's piece. "Crap!" He grunts. 

"I can't wait for presents next week!" Goyle exclaims obnoxiously. 

But, it makes Blaise stop in his tracks and Draco look at him with worry as his mouth opens in the shape of an 'o' and an idea comes to mind. He never got to give Neville a present last year, or the year before that. But, he was determined to give him the most amazing present he can possibly find. After all, this might be the last time he ever gets the chance to express his affection towards Neville. Maybe then he can be happy for Neville finding love, he just needs one last chance to show that love.


	22. Chapter 22

Blaise's POV:

"Lovegood!" Blaise shouts, running towards her in a sprint. Luna turns around with a calm expression as Blaise stops in front of her, breathing heavily. "I need... your... help." He breathes out. 

"What's wrong?" Luna asks calmly. "Is everything alright?"

"What? No, everything is fine... I need your help with something else." Blaise says.

"Ok. What is it?" Luna asks.

"Uh... well... First of all, I want a promise." Blaise says. Luna simply looks at him with her eyebrow raised, so he continues. "I want you to promise that nothing we speak about is repeated." Blaise says.

"Will do. Just so long as it isn't anything that is dangerous." Luna says with a smile.

"Good. So... We-well um..."

"Don't be nervous, just come out and say it." Luna reassures.

"What are some things Neville might want for Christmas?" Blaise blurts out.

Luna suddenly smirks at him, "Neville, huh?"

"Just answer me!" Blaise cries urgently. 

She chuckles softly, "Well, I'm sure you know by now that he loves herbology. He also loves these cookies my friend Hunter made him. He is a Hufflepuff, by the way, if you wish to ask him for the cookies."

"Is that all?" Blaise asks.

"Yeah, well... at least for me. Harry might be able to help more." Luna says.

"Good. Thanks!" Blaise says, running away and towards the great hall to find Harry.

He runs into the great hall, only to notice that most eyes were on him, some giggling and some gazing in disgust and dissapproval, at least that's what it looked like. Yet, he was filled with confusion. Why was everyone looking at him. Then, he caught sight of Neville who was right in front of Hannah Abbott, being one of the few not looking up at him, other than Draco and Harry. He was scratching his neck and staring down at his plate with a look of defeat. 

Draco then looks up at Blaise and shakes his head. Blaise looks at him in curiousity. He catches sight of Pansy who is smirking at him from afar. 

He could notice hesitation from Draco as he stalks towards him, grabs his arm and pulls him away from the Great Hall. 

"What did you say to Pansy?" Draco asks.

"Nothing! Just that she shouldn't have given you the potion!" Blaise says.

"Well apparently you said something because she told everyone that you have a crush on me." Draco informs.

Blaise gags, "Eww!"

"Gee, thanks!" Draco rolls his eyes.

"Why in the world would she think that?"

"Well, she says that you told her." Draco says.

"No she didn't!" Blaise exclaims, "That's what her little smirks were for?! I honestly suspected that she knew I had a 'thing' for Neville. I didn't expect her to think it was you." He sighs in exhaustion. 

"Next time just... don't talk to Pansy anymore." Draco says.

"Trust me, I won't." Blaise promises. 

***

Harry's POV:

It didn't take sense, none of it made sense! Draco said that Blaise liked Neville, right? Not Draco! Then again, Slytherins are great actors and Blaise has been around Draco a lot lately, almost non-stop. But, it didn't matter. After all, he didn't care about Draco like that. He hated him! That kiss meant nothing and they both know it. It was all just some freak mistake. Besides, if Harry did happen to act on these so-called feelings of his, Draco would most likely use it for his personal gain anyway. All Slytherins do that. So why on Earth was he moping around in the library with Draco Malfoy raiding his every thought? 

Let's be real here, Blaise and Malfoy would be great for each other! Both confident Slytherins with rich backgrounds. Not to mention Blaise most likely had a very good family. Draco wouldn't want him. He has just as bad of a family as Draco, if not worse. 

Great, now Harry is worried about Draco's well-being again. He blamed it on hero complex, which made his fears dissipate a little. 

However, he couldn't help but feel somewhat angry when he saw Draco take Blaise out of the Great Hall. But, once again, he feels nothing for Draco and both him and Blaise are perfect for each other. So... what was the big deal?

Before he had another chance to go in circles with his thoughts, a hand slams onto his shoulder.

"Sorry," says a voice in a whisper. He looks back to notice Blaise. Great.

"What?" Harry said, slightly angrier than he meant for it to sound. 

"I need your help." Blaise says, breathing very heavily.

Harry's nerves jolt up inside. "Is Draco ok?" 

"Yes!" Blaise groans, "I need to know what Neville wants for Christmas!" 

Harry cut his eyes at Blaise and sighed, "For who?"

"For... No one! Just answer!" Blaise begs.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Harry asks.

"I will do anything and that is a promise." Blaise says, not once breaking eye contact. "Just say the word."

That's pretty desperate, huh? Maybe Harry was wrong? Maybe Blaise truly does care for Neville. Or maybe he just wants to bully Neville. 

Harry decides to see the good in Blaise. He sighs, softens his expression, and beings to speak. 

"Well, first of all Neville has this pretty pathetic blanket he has slept with since first year. His legs have grown out a lot and it barely covers his arms and legs. I don't know why he hasn't gotten rid of it, especially since it's pretty obvious it drives him crazy. Anyways, I'm sure he'd appreciate a new one." Harry finishes.

"Thank you!" Blaise smiles big and hugs Harry. "I owe you one, scar head!" He pats his back and runs out of the library.

Harry was sure of it now. He was wrong. He still tried to convince himself he cared nothing about Draco even as a soft smile found a way onto his face.

***

Neville's POV:

Neville never knew someone could like boys. Well, he heard of it, but everyone said it wasn't actually possible. Simply something people choose. Did Blaise choose to like Draco? No, that wouldn't make sense, right? If he could choose, or anyone for that matter, he would've chosen to like Hannah Abbott so it didn't feel so weird around her. Or he'd choose to like Luna Lovegood so perhaps he'd have a chance of someone truly liking him and not lying about it. So, how did other people seemingly choose to like others? It just wouldn't make sense! 

Then he began to wonder what it felt like to like boys, or Draco Malfoy for that matter. He couldn't imagine Draco, but maybe he could fall in love with a boy. Then again, what did love even feel like? Was it all just some illusion?

He thanked his loud house-mates silently for walking in, as it quickly took away to scary, way too complicated thoughts he was getting into. Fred and George walked in laughing like maniacs with a few other Gryffindors who were nearly screaming every sentence.

For whatever reason, as soon as he saw one of them carrying a box of Every Flavor Beans, an imagine of Blaise Zabini popped into his head and stayed there, as if there was some magnetic force connect his very brain to the imagine of him. 

It's been happening for weeks now and it's beginning to drive him crazy. Every now and then he'd think of Blaise, especially his clean clothes, flawless skin, and pearly white smile. It was hard not to have the image of him resting in your brain sometimes. But now, it was every second, of every minute, of every day. Sometimes it made his stomach feel queasy, but in an oddly comforting way. In all reality, it was just him being jealous of Blaise. He looked good in everything, had a polished look, and most likely was rich just like every Slytherin. He was also incredibly skilled at... well everything. However, he was the most intimidating boy in school, other than Gregory Goyle of course. However, while Gregory Goyle made him nervous as well, Goyle made him want to curl up into a ball far away in a corner and cry. Blaise, on the other hand, was somehow addicting. It was terrible to feel because it made his face warm and palms sweaty, but he wanted to be around him. People like Snape and Goyle drive him as far away from them as they can, but Blaise just can't do that. Something about him was incredibly interesting to Neville and made him come back for more. Little did he know, it was only a poison. 

Now, he has a better person that doesn't scare him. That's all he needs, right?

His thoughts were cut off by a hand flying in his face, "Hello! Neville! What's got you spaced out?" asks Parvati Patil.

"Oh... nothing." Neville lies.

"Not even Hannah Abbott?" Fred teases with a smug smile.

He now regrets telling the school about him and Hannah. 

Neville simply laughs humorlessly. Somehow none of his fellow Gryffindors got the message but he was glad to see them rushing to their dorms and saying goodbye. Neville sighed in relief and laid his head on the table, grunting softly in dispair. Trevor jumped onto his back and croaked into Neville's ear. 

"Stop being so loud!" He whispered. 

As if teasing Neville, Trevor croaked louder right in the same spot. Neville sighed once again and fell asleep exactly like that.


	23. Chapter 23

Draco's POV:

Draco strutted down the hall in silence, thinking about why Harry suddenly was acting as if nothing happened. He felt angry and wanted to forget all about him, yet he also wanted to chase after him like a mutt. It made him hate himself much more. Only idiots would chase over someone like Potter. 

He was one of those idiots.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the man stalking towards him until they grabbed his arm and pushed him into an empty classroom. He almost screamed, almost. But the person turned him around the face them, now he noticed it to be a familiar long-nosed man dressed in full black.

"I have noticed that you haven't been doing your assignment for the dark lord. You know you shouldn't forget about these kind of things." the Professor lectures.

Draco's eyes go wide. His father must have told Snape to look after him and make sure he does as he is told. Draco says, "I'm sorry! I just got distracted by homework and... other things." 

Snape gives him a look of knowing but it instantly is turned back to a stern seriousness. "This is no joke, this isn't something to put off. I will help you with your quest if you need me to, but you must do it yourself. If you don't, you and your family will be in grave danger. You must cooperate with me, Draco." 

Draco nods, "I will... l know where my loyalities lie. I will not let you down." Draco notices a look of sadness in the Professor, but pushes it off as something he was making up in his mind. 

"Very well." Snape stomps off with the swish of his cloak. 

He was left baffled, how could he have forgotten his assignment? At this point, he can't care about Harry, he must focus on this. If not, his family can die. If not them, then his father will surely kill him. Who in their right mind forgets about this?!

He suddenly remembers the necklace he found in that strange dissapearing room. He makes his way to that same room, knowing exactly what to do. 

For once he was finally thankful for what his father had taught him. 

***

Neville's POV:

His palms were sweaty. He had never done this before. How does one ask another to a ball?

"Ha-Hannah?" Neville says, catching her attention in the library.

"Yes, Neville?" Hannah asks, a smile growing on her face and her cheeks turning a light pink. 

"I... I-uhm. I was wo-wondering if you would... wanna go to the library- I mean! The ball! Wi-with me?" Neville asks her, wincing at his failure to speak correctly. 

"The ball?! Oh, of course!" Hannah says happily.

"Shush!" Madame Pince scolds.

"Sorry." Hannah apologizes quietly. She turns back to Neville and smiles happily, "Well, it's about time for dinner." 

"Yeah... I-I'll walk you." Neville says with a smile and grabs her hand, leading her away from the library. It was nerve wracking that the ball was tomorrow. A large part of him didn't even want to go, let alone with Hannah. But, he promised to at least try to be with her. It's not like he liked anyone else and he didn't have anything better to do. The least he could do was try. Besides, his grandma would send him a howler if she dicovered he didn't wear the tux she sent him let alone go to the ball she's been pesturing him to go to. Ever since Professor McGonagall made it known to his grandmother that he's being bullied and keeps to himself, his grandmother won't leave him alone about school activities and making friends. It was quite annoying. Still is annoying. 

What she doesn't understand is that nothing ever goes his way. Every friend leaves him or just ends up ignoring him until they need a favor. So far only Luna has stayed with him this long. He isn't so sure about Hannah, especially after he trusted Blaise. He still beats himself up for that.

They step into the Great Hall and they sit together. He makes a big mistake by looking around and catches sight of Blaise. Even though the boy was a manipulative little snake, his very essence captivated Neville, particularly at this moment. He had worn a dark green button up that was tucked into his black dress-pants and something about it made Neville feel strange inside. He watched as Blaise's lips curled up into a smug smile as he talked to Draco. Neville couldn't help but think, 'he is quite pretty.' Perhaps that's not the right word for a boy or perhaps Neville shouldn't be thinking that at all. But instead, he ignores those things because Blaise, after all, did look amazing. He just didn't notice until now. 

Hannah gets his attention after many tries and asks him what was wrong, to which he replies with, "Nothing." 

He diverts his eyes to his plate as an attempt to forget about Blaise.

Hannah furrows her brows at him then continues to eat. Neville, however, just sits there and allows the image to burn into his brain. Oddly enough, it didn't bother him. 

He looks up quickly once again, just to catch one more look. What frightened him was that Blaise was looking back with a look of... perhaps worry? No, that can't be right. Slytherins don't feel worry, especially not when looking at a Gryffindor. 

He kept looking at Blaise, and he looked back. Why couldn't he look away?! He notices Blaise's lips curl up into a small smile. Neville almost smiles back, but he somehow contains himself and instead narrows his eyes at Blaise and looks back down at his plate, praying that no one notices his cheeks are red. Well, at least they felt red, he was hoping they weren't though. 

Once again, as if trying to torture himself, he slowly sneaks another glance. Once again, Blaise is looking back, his smile now gone. Neville quickly looks back down, grabs his book, and walks swiftly out into the quiet halls of Hogwarts. 

He began to breathe heavily without control. What was happening to him? He couldn't breathe, a Slytherin was occupying his every thought, his heart was raving around in his chest, and he was mesmirized by that same Slytherin all at once. Why was this happening? Maybe he's sick? 

He rushes through the halls, trying desperately to get to the common room. 

He finally gets through the moving staircases and in front of the Fat Lady, only to realize... he had forgotten the password. 

***

Blaise's POV:

Blaise rests his back on the wall in front of the Hufflepuff common room entrance, waiting for a certain Hufflepuff to come into view. After waiting for quite a while and getting dirty looks from many other Hufflepuffs, including Hannah Abbott, to which he gave a scowl right back at, the Hufflepuff he needed came into view.

"Hunter!" Blaise shouts, stepping in front of him.

He looks down at Blaise's tie and then back into his eyes, "You must be Zabini." He smiles, "Luna has told me much about you. Bargyles swarm you she says!" Hunter smiles wide, sporting both dimples on his cheeks.

"Yeah." Blaise chuckles nervously.

"I hear you want to impress someone with my cookies. For my services, I ask for at least ten galleons, if not more." Hunter says. "It takes a lot of work to get past the house-elves. They hate me cooking in their kitchen."

"Well... I wanted it to be personal. I wanted to... well, make them on my own." Blaise says.

Hunter gives him a strange look, but still smiles. "I can see why she says the bargyles love you. Not many Slytherins want to do that on their own..." Hunter trails off. Before Blaise can get offended, Hunter speaks up again, "Well... we have to get past those house-elves. The only way we can and have enough time to cook is if it's during the Yule ball... What do you say, Zabini?" 

He thought for a second. He didn't ever really care for the ball, other than being able to spend time with Neville. Well, evidently that was never going to happen. All he would have there was heartache from watching his true love and some girl fall in love right in front of him. Maybe even kiss. There was no way in Hades that he was going to that wretched ball. 

"You got it!" Blaise smiles.

***

Harry's POV: 

He sat on the red couch in the common room, reading Quidditch Through the Ages for the first time since second year. He didn't have much to do, so he thought this was his best bet. 

"Hi, Harry!" Ginny says beside him.

"Oh, hi." He responds.

"Well, the Yule ball is tomorrow and I was wondering if we could... maybe go together?" Ginny asks.

Harry sits and thinks for a bit, mostly about Draco. In short, if he wanted to forget about him and the mistake kiss that happened, he had to date someone else. Ginny wasn't too bad, she was beautiful indeed. Did he like her? He wasn't so sure. All he needed was to forget about the kiss, which was enough for him. 

"Sure, we can go together." Harry says.

"Great! See you there!" Ginny says happily and skips away. 

Ron steps into view, "What in Merlin's name, Harry?!"

"What?" Harry asks.

"My sister?! Are you kidding?! Best mates don't date each other's sisters!" Ron shouts.

"We aren't dating, I'm just going to the ball with her. I won't do anything." Harry promises.

"No, because you will stay away from her!"

"Goodness, Ronald, give it a rest! Ginny will do what she wants. She is practically grown now and you aren't her father!" Hermione scolds. 

"But-"

"Shut it!" Hermione shouts at Ron, cutting him off. Ron groans and stomps away to his dorm.

Hermione steps towards Harry and sits beside him. "You don't seem too enthusiastic." 

Harry sighs, "I'm ok."

"No you aren't. This has happened before. You like someone other than Ginny, don't you?" Hermione asks.

Harry groans, "I don't like anyone, Hermione." 

"Then why are you agreeing to go to the ball with Ginny and not looking happy or at least nervous? Something is wrong here, I can see it. I'm not a bloody troll." 

Harry sighs, "I didn't say you were! Look, I just wanna get through this stupid ball and maybe do something normal for once. Besides, I'm incredibly tired and all these nightmares aren't doing good for me. That's all. I'm just tired and stressed."

Hermione sighs angrily, "Fine. Don't tell me what is truly bothering you."

"But I really am tired and stressed!"

"I believe you, but that's not the full story, is it?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and gives Harry a stern look. When Harry doesn't reply, she rolls her eyes. "Fine, suffer alone!" She says, stomping up the steps towards the girls dorms, leaving Harry all alone in the common room. At times like these, he wishes he still had Sirius. Maybe then he would truly understand all of this. Maybe then he wouldn't feel so alone.


	24. Chapter 24

Draco's POV:

He stepped into the Great Hall alone, kind of wishing Blaise wasn't so busy with whatever he was doing so he wouldn't feel like a loser.

The soft music plays but is relatively covered by the loud chattering and laughing all around. 

He was dressed in a suit and tie, one his father instructed him to wear. It was nice, but knowing his father got it made him feel disgusting somehow. He tried his best not to dwell too much on it. 

The more he looked around, the more the thoughts dissipated. They finally dissappeared with his eyes found their way towards a familar looking couple. One with long red hair, the other with messy black hair. It can't be... it was. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter.

He tried to breathe as to not cry or scream, or whatever his body might try to do to react to this fury he felt inside of him. After everything that happened between them?! 

There was no way he was staying here. Besides, he had a quest. What better way to get it done now? 

He stomps towards the seventh floor, then turning to the left corridor. There was the wall, empty and grey. He stepped in front of it.

'I need the room with the necklace. I need the room with the necklace.' After saying that in his head one last time, the door slowly appeared in front of him. 

He turns the handle and is met with a very disorganized room. The same room he found almost a year ago. He smirks. Perfect. 

***

Blaise's POV:

"Ok, now add the blueberries into the mix." Hunter instructs, pushing the blueberries over to Blaise.

He grabs a handful and throw it into the bowl and starts mixing. It feels heavy and hard to mix.

"I don't think I can mix it." Blaise says.

"Ah, not enough liquid. Try to add some more lemon juice and vanilla extract." Hunter suggests, which Blaise does. 

He tries to mix it again, but it's still too thick. Blaise sighs. "I keep messing up." He nearly whispers.

"It's ok. Believe it or not, us bakers mess up quite a lot. Especially those who are self-taught. You will get it!" Hunter encourages.

"I don't know... I might give it to him and he'll hate it because it doesn't taste the same." 

"Well, if this boy, whoever he is, doesn't like it then he is an ungrateful troll. However, I'm sure he will appreciate someone going out of their way to do something like this for them. By the way, what other things are you planning to get for this person?" Hunter asks.

"I'm still figuring that out. But I did find this really soft blanket that's pretty big, then herbology supplies and-"

"Is this a Hufflepuff?" Hunter asks.

"No... a Gryffindor." Blaise says.

"Oh... Oh!" Hunter exclaims as Blaise adds a tiny bit more vanilla into the bowl. Oddly enough, that did the trick and he smiled brightly. 

"Why are you saying it like that?" Blaise asks.

"Because I know who it is!" Hunter sings. "But, no shame here. I fully support whoever you decide to love. In fact, all love is supported from me. So, if you happen to express your feelings for that person to me, no judgement, I promise on Helga Hufflepuff's grave! But, if you don't want to tell me, I understand too." This was the most Hunter spoke at once and it made him realize just how energetic the guy was. He spoke quick and rambled on, but was really really happy about it. 

"Well... I don't know. After this present I'm gonna try and get rid of these feelings." Blaise informs.

"Oh! Now grab the scooper and first put the wax paper onto the cookie sheet! Anyways, why?!" Hunter asked. 

Blaise does what he is instructed to do once again then continues, "He has a girlfriend now." 

"Oh yeah. That's rough, friend. Scoop out parts of the dough and put it on the sheet! Anyways, what if he finds out who you are? Won't it be awkward, especially with the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry?" 

"Of course! It already is awkward. I tried to be his friend, then a bunch of Slytherins bullied him and he blames all of us. But, I can't say he was wrong in that. He is just protecting himself. Besides, we never would've worked out." Blaise finishes sadly. 

He then puts the cookies into the oven behind them and they continue to talk.

"Well, if this person is who I'm thinking it is... I think you two would've been cute." 

"Wait... who do you think this is?" Blaise asks nervously.

"Well, I first thought it was Draco because of all these people saying that but... then you said Gryffindor and herbology and I instantly knew. I'm guessing it's the guy with the toad... uh, Trevell?" 

"Trevor." Blaise corrects.

"Ah! It is him!" Hunter says happily. 

"It doesn't matter anyways." Blaise sighs, "But hey, at least I can show how I feel before I dump it all away. I don't know who I'd love after this though." 

"Love?" Hunter's eyes sparkle and he gets giddy, "Oh my goodness! You never told me it was love! I mean, I was hoping, but still!"

"So?" Blaise asks.

"So," He drawls out the o before continuing, "You can't just throw love away! Chase it! Don't let it die!" 

Blaise rolls his eyes, "You don't understand. He will never ever love me back. It's just some stupid feeling that's useless. It doesn't get me anywhere, especially when the feelings aren't reciprocated."

"You never know until you try! Oh, by the way we still have the lemon glaze. Let's get to it. Get the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice." Hunter instructs. Blaise walks over to the cabinet and grabs the ingredients and lays them all on the counter in front of them. Suddenly a burning smell hit his nose. Oh no. 

"No!" He shouts, rushing to the oven and opening it to reveal hard, unedible brown cookies. He slams the cookie sheet on the table and groans. "Are you kidding me?!" 

"I can do it myself for free this time! Then you won't be so stressed." Hunter suggests.

"No, I can't do that! If I just give him cookies someone else made what kind of present is that?! No way, I am doing this until I get it right, even if it burns this kitchen down. Got it?" Blaise affirms, dumping the old cookies in the trash and quickly grabbing the dough ingredients once more. Hunter simply sat there watching him, pretty much baffled at his outburst. 

Blaise did the same thing as before and mixed on his own, smiling at the success of the dough this time. Without another word he slaps the dough on the cookie sheet like he did before, make the lemon glaze, and practically stalked the cookies in the oven. All while Hunter desperately tries to make conversation. 

After a few minutes, the cookies were almost perfect. "Good! Now, just one more try."

"Woah, no way! If too many ingredients go missing, it will be our heads! Plus, those are perfect cookies, no need to make another." Hunter says.

"But it doesn't look like yours." Blaise complains.

"Good, now it's individual. You have to add the glaze, though." Blaise does just that, feeling quite dissapointed in himself for the glaze being so messy. "Here, let me try one." Hunter says, picking up a warm cookie, blowing it off, and taking a big chunk out of it. He nods his head in approval, "That's good. Send it in, but make sure to package them properly." He says, amounts of cookie still in his mouth. 

"How do I do that?" Blaise asks.

"Well, first of all make sure it looks nice. Second, make sure they cool at room temperature before packaging it. When do you plan to send it off?" Hunter asks, another chunk of the cookie goes into his mouth.

"After the Yule ball, or whenever I find the other things to give... It just seems so empty without something else. I don't know what else to do, though." Blaise sighs.

"Luna says that Nevor is always anxious. Maybe you can do something to fix that?" Hunter suggests.

Blaise gives him a sideways glance, "It's Neville, and how would I be able to fix that?!"

Hunter shrugs, "A potion, maybe? Maybe you can make him a calming potion! I know you're pretty skilled at that kind of stuff, at least I've heard." 

"I don't know... he'd have to constantly be taking it and then get more. It would just be too much." Blaise says.

"Huh... Then find something that is convenient and will always be there."

Blaise furrows his brows, "There isn't anything like that!"

"Not yet!" Hunter sings. "By the way, I have something in my common room to keep those cookies fresh and warm. We can keep them there until you're ready." 

"Sure." Blaise says, handing the tray to the boy beside him while trying to wrap his brain around what he is advising him to do. Not yet? Is he saying that he should make something completely new? How in the world would he do that? 

"Alright, Zabini, see you later! Good work today!" Hunter says, giving him a much unexpected hug. Blaise couldn't tell if he appreciated it or wanted to push this boy far away from him, so he did nothing except stand there until Hunter pulls away. "Good luck with love!" He runs out of the kitchen with the tray in hand and Blaise slowly follows him. He sees Hunter dip into his common room for a split second. 

Blaise continues to walk, almost going towards his common room until he realized: many Slytherins stay there during the ball. Then, he thought, what was a calming place to go? Well, the seventh floor was always pretty quiet and no one would be there during the ball. He makes his way and finds nothing but a dead-end and a weird door on the right. Nothing more, nothing less. He sighs. He makes his way to the bench on the few end of the left corridor. 

What to get Neville... what to get for Neville. It's all he needed. Just something to get for him! Maybe something that will calm him down. Anything! Where even would that be? 

He suddenly looks up to notice the once dead-end now has a grand door staring him down. Logic had told him to not open the door, yet something so powerful continued to pull him towards the handle. 

He pulls at it and it reveals a very small room with a small pillar in the middle. The pillar held a red pillow, which Blaise walked towards. The looked on it and found a golden bracelet that sported a metallic lions head right in the middle. Right on the left and right sides of the mane were accent of tiny orange and white gems. Blaise smiles wide. This seems perfect for Neville! But... how is it calming? He didn't feel calm at all... 

He suddenly had a thought. 'Us Wizards make new things all the time. It just depends on how powerful we are.' He smiles once more, 'I just have to make it calming.' Then, he frowns. How in the world does he do that?!

He brushes it off for now and says he will ask a teacher. He grabs the bracelet from the pillow, puts it in his pocket, and walks away.


	25. Chapter 25

Neville's POV:

Hannah and Neville sit outside together and hold hands. 

"I had a nice time today." Hannah says with a small smile. 

"Y-yeah... me too." Neville smiles back crookedly. 

"I wanted to give you something. Well, two things exactly." 

"Oh, what is it?" Neville asks.

Hannah reaches into her jacket and pulls out a crochet toad. "It's not much, but I know you have Trevor so I assumed you liked Toads." She smiles nervously. 

"I love it!" Neville smiles brightly. The small beady eyes of the toad almost making him giggle. 

"Really?" Hannah looks up at him hopefully.

"Absolutely! Thank you." 

"In that case, here is something else." Hannah fidgets with her hands for a bit before grabbing Neville's face with both hands and pecks his lips. She pulls away and looks at him nervously once again. "Well... I'll see you later." 

"Yeah. Be safe!" He calls after her as she walks back inside, her dress softly moving in the wind. 

That was his first kiss... However, it all felt strange. Was a first kiss supposed to feel like nothing? Maybe it was just too quick to tell? The more he sat there, the weirder he felt. He was surprised, but also felt something he couldn't quite express. Instead of dwelling on it, he walks back inside and grabs a couple of trecle tarts, maybe more, and sneakily eats them at a lone table. 

***

Blaise's POV:

Blaise makes his way to Dumbledore's office. He had asked Professor Snape if it was possible to make a bracelet that calms the wearer at all times. Snape suggested that Dumbledore would know more about that, so that's where he is going. 

He finds his way to the entrance, remembering the password that was given to him. "Sherbet lemon!" He says. The gargoyle moves away to reveal a spiral staircase. Dumbledore is living large, huh? 

He makes his way up the steps and into a room filled with warm browns and reds. The ceilings were high and detailed. He looks at in wonder. He looks over to see a long-bearded man in a large, fancy chair. 

"Blaise, what a surprise!" Dumbledore smiles up at him. "What is your concern?"

"Hello, Professor. I'm here to ask a question." Blaise says, feeling pretty small all the sudden.

"Ask away." Dumbledore says, putting down his quill and linking his hands together under his chin.

"I'm not sure if this is possible but... Can you enchant a bracelet so that the wearer is calm and soothed whenever they wear it?" 

"Is this for you, Blaise?" Dumbledore asks, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes." He lies.

"Hmm... Well, I'm sorry you don't feel at peace. But, this is very advanced magic. I can help you but I must do the enchantment myself. I do have a very easy task you can do to it, though. First, you coat it with a lavender scent. Muggles do this as well. Lavender is a very soothing herb and Muggles and Wizards alike use it as a means of calming the nerves and inducing sleep. However, we need to make it so the scent can never fade. I'm sure I can make that happen for you." Dumbledore promises, "Do you have this bracelet with you?"

"Uh, yes!" Blaise reaches into his pocket and pulls out the bracelet he found last night and hands it towards the Professor. 

He examines it before giving him a smile, "A lion, huh?" Blaise looks at the floor, not daring to utter one word out of fear that his secret will be given away. "I will enchant this for you before the break begins. Consider this your Christmas present, Blaise." Dumbledore says with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. 

"Thank you, Professor." Blaise says with a smile.

"Of course! We can go ahead and coat it in lavender to start off." Dumbledore steps away from his chair and goes up some steps across the room. Blaise can hear the opening and closing of drawers, but can no longer see the man. 

He finally hears, "Aha!" And Dumbledore shortly after comes back into view holding a bottle of a very pale purple liquid. "We will cover it in this." He sits back down at his chair, and hands Blaise the liquid. "Do the honors?" 

Blaise nods, dips his fingers into the bottle and rubs the liquid all around the now cold golden bracelet. 

Dumbledore then raises his wand, waves it in a spiral motion, and taps the bracelet three times. "There's the first step. Give it a whiff!"

Blaise picks up the bracelet, noticing it is now somehow dry. He gives it a sniff and closes his eyes. The smell made him feel warm and peaceful inside. Other than amortentia, he would say this was his favorite smell. 

"It's nice, isn't it?" Dumbledore says with another smile before grabbing the bracelet back from Blaise's hands. "Come back say... tomorrow? I think I can have it ready by then."

Blaise nods, "Thank you again." He smiles softly. 

"No worries. If you feel nervous before tomorrow, just put a bit of this on your neck. You'll get a smell of it occasionally and it will help soothe your nerves." Dumbledore says, handing him the same bottle they used to coat the bracelet. 

"Are you sure?" Blaise asks, hesitantly grabbing the bottle from Dumbledore's warm, bony hands. 

"Take it. It's the least I can do. You've been so respectful and you deserve it!" Dumbledore pushes it into Blaise's hand and leans back into his chair. "Now, get to the Great Hall. It's almost lunch time!" 

Blaise simply nods and walks out of the cozy office and into the cold hallways of Hogwarts.

He makes his way into the Great Hall and notices Neville, Hannah, and a few other students are already there. Neville is smiling softly, to which Blaise smiles as well. Even if the smile isn't directed at him, he can't help but feel happy as well. 

He suddenly realizes that Neville really is happy with Hannah. He can't take that away from him, that wouldn't be real love. Besides, seeing Neville happy is the only thing that gives him joy. He decides at once that he is fine with them falling in love if that's what Neville needs. After this present, he will never interact with Neville ever again, that's his promise to himself. If he truly loves Neville, he will keep that promise. 

For the first time in a while, he isn't jealous. He doesn't need to be the only one in a persons life. For the first time in a while, he is truly happy to see Neville and Hannah sitting together. 

He smiles wide and sits alone at the Slytherin table waiting for lunch to begin. Slowly the students file in one by one. He notices Draco come in and frowns. He really doesn't look right. His hair is messier than usual, a dark grey covers the skin under his eyes, and for the first time he could see that his clothes were wrinkly and unkempt. 

He notices Draco stop right behind a girl talking to Harry. He looks around nervously, catches eyes with Blaise, then walks off quickly. He notices Harry push past the girl and rush after Draco. Blaise sat still, hoping that some way they would settle things. Although, he doubted that since Harry, according to Draco, was now with Ginny. Still, it took strength not to go after Draco as well. 

***

Harry's POV:

Malfoy was up to something, he was sure of it. Katie's friends told him all about Katie's run in with some deadly necklace. If he was correct, it must have been Malfoy considering how he ran away when he saw him talking with one of Katie's friends. Him and Ron talked about how strange Malfoy has been acting and Harry quickly forgot about all the supposed feelings he must have had for him. He must've known it wasn't a "truth" potion at all. If anything, he ingested the potion at the last minute to make Harry seem foolish, to embarrass him later on. Maybe... just maybe it's also something more sinister. Malfoy and his father weren't much different. Not to mention that no Slytherin ever has had good intentions. He only hoped Blaise was an exception. 

He follows Draco swiftly to wherever he may be going. Only to notice he makes his way into the abandoned girl's bathroom on the second floor. 

He stops when he sees Draco sobbing. He's sobbing so violently he seems to almost choke at one point. 

"I know what you did Malfoy!" Harry shouts. "You cursed her, didn't you?"

He turned around and held his wand right up to Harry's face. Thinking quickly, Harry grabs his wand, but Draco was fast. He throws the first spell, which Harry dodges. 

They go back and forth, throwing spells and dodging them. Harry suddenly remembers a spell in the potions book he had. Draco definitely was an enemy. 

"Sectumsempra!" Harry shouts. The spell hits Draco and he watches as Draco fall to the ground. The spell also managed to hit the sinks, making water flow onto the floor.

He stands still then slowly moves towards the sight of Draco's shoes. As he gets closer he can hear the soft cries. He gasps as he catches sight of blood mixing with water and flowing down the tiled floor. He looks behind the wall separating him and Draco and his eyes widen. 

He stood still out of shock. Draco laid there crying, blood seeping out of his stomach. He hears heavy footsteps running towards him, but he can't move. Cold hands push him out of the way and lean down towards Draco. He quickly notices that it's Snape. He looks up at Harry with a look that Harry can't seem to put down before he picks up Draco in his arms and rushes out of the bathroom. 

Harry watches him walk out and notices Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway, looking at him in dissapointment.

Harry, even though he felt embarrassed and guilty, rushes after Snape.

He catches up to him. "How can I help?" Harry says quickly.

"I don't need your help, boy. The only thing you do is destroy everything." Snape says. 

Harry stops right in front of them, "Please, I didn't mean-"

"Do you see him?!" Snape shouts, "Get out of my way." He demands, pushing Harry towards the side then briskly walking away.


	26. Chapter 26

Draco's POV:

Tomorrow was Christmas break and Draco was once again in the hospital wing and failed his first attempt at the assignment. He hasn't very hopeful for his trip back home. 

He still couldn't believe he was dumb enough to believe Harry Potter could've actually cared about him and wanted to help. Then again, he wasn't wrong about Draco being the one to curse Katie Bell. However, he wasn't meaning to get Katie, he meant to get Dumbledore. That didn't matter anymore anyways. 

Right now he had to focus on having a good excuse for his father. Maybe, if he negotiates enough, he can try to stay here for the break and finish his assignment before anyone gets back. But, knowing his father, he would definitely want him home. Especially considering he's failed his task, forgot about it for weeks, and has managed to become even more of an embarrassment by being defeated by Harry Potter. He really was afraid to go home for all of those reasons, but he had no choice. 

He sighs and hears footsteps coming towards him. He expects Madame Pomfrey, but instead gets Blaise. 

"How do you feel, mate?" Blaise asks, grabbing a chair and sitting beside the bed.

"Painful." Draco says emotionlessly.

"I'm sorry. Hey, I got you some flowers! But... I was actually going to give them to you so you had something to give to Harry for Christmas." Blaise says with a bright smile.

Draco sneers in disgust, 

"I'm not gonna give that oaf a stupid flower." 

"Listen, I know Harry is with Ginny now but hey... Neville is with Hannah and I'm still sending him a gift. Just to see him smile. You want Harry to smile, right?" Blaise asks. 

Draco scoffs, "He'll think Ginny sent it. Besides, I don't care for him anymore, especially after he attacked me! You're just simply too obsessed with Longbottom and being a lovesick little-" 

"Yeah, yeah I get it. Wait... did you say Harry-" 

"Attacked me? Yeah. Well, techincally we both fought each other, but I never tried to do anything like this! There is no way that bloody troll is getting anything from me. Ever." Draco says, glancing down at the flowers and rolling his eyes. Flowers are overrated.

"Why did he do it?" Blaise asks.

"Because apparently he thinks I did something bad... Or he just wants glory. That's all every Gryffindor wants." 

"Not every-"

"Whatever!" Draco exclaims, "I don't care anymore. I just want a damn break for once."

"Hey... maybe we can both stay here for Christmas? We won't have to deal with our families and then you can relax." Blaise suggests.

Draco sighs. Blaise will never understand. He can never relax, not even at Hogwarts. Draco never plans on telling him the truth either seeing that his loyalities definitely lie with Neville and not him. If he found out Draco was a death eater he'd never see his only friend again. 

"Maybe... but I doubt my father will allow that." Draco says.

"I really don't think you should go home. Maybe we can tell Dumble-"

"No, absolutely not! Please don't." Draco pleads. 

Blaise looks down at the floor and sighs, "Ok."

"I'll handle it on my own. I'm still alive, so I'm fine." Draco says.

"But he could-"

"Out, Mr. Zabini! You don't wanna see this." Madame Pomfrey says, finally coming back.

Blaise must be upset with the amount of times he has gotten cut off, but Draco is quite relieved she stepped in. 

Blaise sighs and walks out. He turns toward Draco in the doorway and waves goodbye. Draco nods back then finally relaxes as Blaise steps out of sight. 

***

Neville's POV: 

He stepped into the common room only to be ambushed by his fellow Gryffindors. 

"Neville, you have a present!" Parvati informs happily. 

"What?!" Did his grandma send a gift early? No, that didn't make sense, he was going home for the holidays. He steps to the tree and looks under it. Surely enough, a single present was laying there. It was quite large, mainly in length but a bit in width. It was wrapped in gold wrapping paper and tied together in a bow with a black ribbon. A note lays under the ribbon and written in a neat cursive hand writing.

"Open it!" Ron urges.

"Oh, maybe it's from Hannah!" Lavender Brown theorizes. 

Neville picks it up and notices it's quite heavy. He takes it to an empty table and undoes the bow. He notices a few of his acquaintances follow him. He reads the note which says: "Merry Christmas, Neville. I hope you get all the presents you wish for this year. In fact, I had asked some of your friends to help me with this very special gift to give to you, so perhaps you will find something you have needed. Inside there will be another note. I would prefer you read it away from wandering eyes."

He presses his lips together in confusion. 

He then begins to tear the wrapping paper. He reveals a plain white box, which he then opens as well. The inside makes him gasp. The very first thing that catches his eye is a big brown blanket. He runs his hand over it and smiles in happiness. It was so soft, almost like petting a bunny. He pulls it out of the box and smiles wider. It was much bigger than his other blanket. 

"Look at that, Neville! Maybe now you'll stop complaining about that pathetic blanket." Seamus remarks, but Neville didn't listen. 

He folds the blanket back up and looks inside again. The next thing that catches his eye is a bracelet. It was golden with a lions head right in the middle. He picked it up and examined it. Something about it intrigued him, not only that but it oddly enough made him feel at ease. Maybe it was simply a coincidence, but he didn't mind it. 

"Wow, that's beautiful!" Lavender Brown says. 

He looks back at the box, still holding onto the bracelet as if it was going to dissappear. He then notices not only various herbology suppiles but a letter. It was sealed with dark green wax that was stamped with the letter Z on it. He let out a "hmm" then picked up the herbology book. He was thrilled that it was indeed a book he hadn't read before. He pushes back the rest of the supplies and notices a small bag tied with twine. 

He opens it up and sees that it's the same cookies he had gotten from Luna the other day. Maybe Luna got this for him? 

He picks one up and is thrilled that they are still warm. Not entirely, but still pretty warm. He smiles and hugs the blanket while he clutches the bracelet in his hand. 

"I wonder who got this for you..." Seamus says. 

"There's a letter in there!" Parvati says, picking it up. 

Neville reaches over and grabs it back, "I think I'd rather keep the letter private, just in case." He says. 

Some of them give him a strange look, but he can't seem to care. They then all walk away without another word. Some went back to their dorms while others remained downstairs. He knew this was an opportunity to read that letter. 

He reaches for it, breaking the seal, and picking out the letter. He opens it and the same small, neat cursive letters covered the page. 

He slips the bracelet on his wrist and begins to read. 

"Merry Christmas Neville! 

You may be wondering who I am, but I cannot disclose that to you due to many, many reasons. But, I really hope you enjoy everything I have gotten for you. I talked to some of your friends, which helped me with your gift considering I am not one of your friends. However, I wish I was. This may make you nervous, which I hope that's not the case, but I need to tell you something. But, before that... you see that bracelet in there? Whenever you feel nervous you can wear that and it'll take the stress off your back. Better yet, you can wear it all the time! Trust me, it'll help. So, maybe you should wear it now. Anyways, I just wanted to say that even though you have a girlfriend, I have had feelings for you for a couple of years now. You may be wondering why I haven't acted on it and well... I was afraid of many things, especially you not feeling the same. But I promise I won't act on it in the future because I can see you are happy and that's all I want for you, other than your safety of course. I just needed to get it off my chest and show you affection somehow, so this is my way of doing that! If you are upset, you may do what you will with these gifts and I will fully support it. I may have overstepped boundaries so I understand. It would feel much worse if I had never done this. So, here it is. I really do hope you enjoy it though. I will be saying farewell to you and you'll never hear from me again, unless you wish to speak with me that is. But other than that, I will not be interacting with you and you can be happy with your girlfriend for the rest of your days. I'm just glad that I have gotten to interact with you at least once. Thank you for being a light in my life. I will never forget you."

Neville was astounded and flattered, yet didn't believe it for a second. However, something was telling him this was too sincere to be some joke. He pocketed the letter and put the rest of his new things in his dorm room before rushing out of the common room and asking a few Ravenclaws where Luna might be. 

They all tell him to check the library, which he does and looks around until he finds light blonde hair. He rushes towards her and taps her lightly on the shoulder. 

"Oh, hi Neville!" She whispers.

"Hi. I need to talk to you please." Neville says.

"No problem, please sit." She says, gesturing to the chair in front of her. He takes it and leans over to her.

"I got a present today." He whispers.

"Oh, really?" Luna asks with a smirk.

"But I'm worried it's a joke, especially with the letter they gave me. They told me to not show anyone, but maybe I can just show you? I really need help." Neville says.

"Well... I will inform you that I know someone was asking me for what to get you for Christmas, but it may be the wrong person I'm thinking of." Luna says.

"Who was it?" Neville asks eagerly. 

"First, give me the letter please." Luna says, holding out her hand. Neville takes the letter out of his robe and hands it over. Luna examines the back of the envelope without taking the letter out. She then smiles softly. "I am pretty certain it's the same person." 

"Ok... And?" Neville asks.

"And I believe this person is genuine." Luna says.

"But you didn't read the letter." 

"I don't need to. But if it'll ease your mind I will read it." Luna says and Neville nods eagerly. "Alright then." Luna carefully removes the letter from the envelope and reads it. Throughout the reading she begins to smile. "That's so sweet." 

"Does that mean it's genuine?" Neville asks.

"Yes. Bargyles swarm this person, especially when he is around you. Seemingly, you make him a better person." Luna says.

"Oh... Wait, did you say him?" Neville asks. He would've been freaking out, but he couldn't seem to feel anything. 

"I shouldn't have said that, huh? Look, I apologize if this upsets you. He really cares about you, but this is one of the reasons, at least I think, that he keeps his distance. The other, according to his letter, is due to you dating Hannah. He doesn't want to ruin anything for you because he cares for you. Trust me, even though it may seem bad that a boy likes you, he won't act on it I promise." Luna says.

"No... It's just..." Neville sighs. He's shocked he can still sit here without hyperventilating and rocking back and forth like a maniac, but it felt nice, even though he knows a part of him wants to freak out right now. Something about it being a boy makes him very happy, but he doesn't know why. Maybe because it's something different? It's not like he knew the person, so he shouldn't care. Besides, he has a girlfriend.

"Neville?" Luna asks.

"What?" 

"Are you alright? You seemed to get lost in your head a bit there." Luna points out.

"I don't know." Neville sighs once again.

"Maybe we can talk after lunch? Tell Hannah I said hello by the way." Luna says.

"Yeah. I will. See you after lunch." Neville says, grabbing the letter back from Luna and walking off to the Great Hall. As he's walking he takes off his bracelet and puts it in his pocket. He wouldn't want Hannah asking questions.

He steps in and notices Hannah is already sitting there. He smiles and sits in front of her.

"Hi." Neville says with a smile.

"Hello! Are you excited for Christmas?" Hannah says with a bright smile.

"Y-yeah! How about you?" Neville asks.

"I totally am! See, me and my family always go..." The sight of dark skin and dark clothes catch his eye and make him tune Hannah out completely. 

He sat at the Slytherin table alone, but in the perfect spot. This time Blaise wore all black, but it wasn't any less fashionable. The button-up shirt was once again tucked into his black pants and neither had a wrinkle in sight. He suddenly feel a bit inferior considering his shirt was heavily wrinkled and his hair was messy. However, everything Blaise did made him feel inferior. 

They catch eyesight and Neville's nerves skyrocket. At this point, he would need that bracelet, according to the gift-giver. But there was no way he would risk being asked questions by his new girlfriend. Especially since he was planning on using every single gift in that box. 

Blaise's dark eyes dart from Neville to the table. He could tell he was making Blaise uncomfortable, but he couldn't take his eyes away. 

"Neville!" Hannah almost shouts, snapping him out of his trance. "What's wrong with you?"

"N-nothing. I'm f-fine." Neville says before taking a bite of his chicken. He felt guilty for eating, as he always does, but at times like these he feels worse. He's probably only eating because he's nervous and probably just made a fool of himself in front of a deceitful Slytherin. Great. 

He feels drawn to the bracelet, but refuses to wear it. Instead, he reaches in his pocket and grasps onto the cold metal. It shockingly does make it feel like all his worries washed away.

He takes a deep breath and continues to talk with Hannah. It sounds awkward, but he can't seem to care about it.


	27. Chapter 27

Draco's POV:

Madame Pomfrey, sadly enough, healed him quickly and he was able to go home that day for the holidays. Snape even told him he didn't have a choice and that he had to finish his assignment after his father had a chat with him. Whenever his father wanted to "chat" it was never good. He was frightened but forced himself to forget about it. If he wanted to survive it all, he couldn't show or feel fear. It simply wasn't an option.

So him and Blaise sat alone together in a lone compartment, as silent as they can be. He could tell they both didn't want to be doing this. 

"I hope they feed you." Draco says quietly.

Blaise looks up at him in silence for a bit, "I hope you're safe." He responds quietly.

"I will be." Draco says, not sure about that himself.

"Hey, if nothing else I'll feed myself. I do it all the time." Blaise smirks a bit, but it quickly fades away. They both sigh and Draco leans back in the seat. 

Draco hears voices outside the compartment and watches Harry, Ron, and Hermione pass by. Not so far behind was Neville and Hannah. He glances at Blaise who watches them. He notices Blaise and Neville catch sight of each other, which makes Neville stop for a second. Hannah seems to sneer at Blaise behind him, but follows Neville closely. 

Draco looks at Blaise, who is now staring at the floor. He gets up and closes the compartment door, casts muffliato and sits back down. "Everything will be ok," He says, not only to Blaise, but himself as well. 

"The thing is... I'm happy for them truly. I finally can look at them without feeling jealousy, but now I also feel... I don't know, pain? I can't explain it. But I'm happy for them." Blaise says. 

"It's normal to feel heartache. Don't feel so bad about it. You only felt jealousy because well... Neville's never dated literally anyone until now. Again, it's completely understandable why it's so hard for you." Draco says.

"I wish I could go back to the days where I didn't like anyone." Blaise says, "Where I just went through my days not caring for anyone and being the worst person ever. I still had problems, especially with my mother, but it was much easier." 

"Yeah... I second that. Nothing is easy anymore. Sometimes I wish I was a kid again... Back then my father didn't care too much about what I did, but then I turned into a teenager and now it seems like he hates me. Not that he seemed to care before, but at least before he never paid attention to me. Now all he does is watch everything I do and yell at me all the time. Sometimes worse... Will it only get worse from here?"

Blaise shrugs, "I hope not. I don't know if I could take anything worse than this." 

"Me either..." Draco says, remembering that it is worse, and he can barely take it. 

After a long train ride, they finally are able to get on the ground. He was hoping to see his mother, or maybe no one at all. Sadly, he came face to face with his father. He grabs his arm and drags him away from the train. 

They go right into Diagon Alley and into a floo network. His father grabs the powder and says very clearly, and quite eerily, "Malfoy Manor." 

They show up in the dining room and without even a second to relax, his father drags him to his office and pushes him into a chair. 

"You utter disgrace!" His father shouts at him. He holds back the tears and the urge to cover his ears like a little child. "You think I wouldn't know?!" His heartbeat increases. He can't be talking about Harry. "How dare you try to escape this!" He relaxes a bit. "Do you even want to be a part of this family?! Huh?! If you try to go to the good side I will kill you." His father says, gritting his teeth and leaning towards Draco threateningly. 

"I-I won't! I promise! I just got distracted, but I won't ever again, I promise you." Draco says, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice. 

His father raises his hand and Draco flinches, but he's too late. His hand collides with Draco's face with a sting. He hit him so hard he nearly fell from the chair. 

"If I catch a word of you not doing as you're told again there will be worse than that. Got it?!" His father shouts. Draco nods rapidly. "Go to your room, now!" 

He stands up and tries to run away, but is kicked down by his father. He glances back at him when he is halfway up, but it was a big mistake. His father takes his cane and pushes it into his back, pulling him back down to the ground and definitely leaving a bruise. 

His father takes the cane away soon after, "Get out of my sight." He demands, kicking Draco out the door and slamming it behind him. Draco slowly looks behind him and is relieved to know his father isn't there. He stands up quickly and rushes to his room. He closes the door quietly, knowing that if he slammed it he'd be hearing from his father again. 

He swings open his closet door to reveal a dark room just big enough for him to hide. He missed this room. He steps inside and closes the door tight. He takes a deep, shaky breath and hugs himself. 

He never really cared for his own room, he always had a better place to be which was right here. No one could hear him and no one could see him, and it was just private enough to make him feel safe. Although, he rarely ever cried here due to fear that his red face and eyes would give it away anyways.

A knock on his door startled him. He opens his closet door and quickly goes to open his bedroom door. He is relieved to see that it's only the house-elf Maggie. 

She steps inside and plops herself on his mattress. "Welcome back, master Draco."

"I'm not your master, you know this Maggie." Draco says.

"I know... but you live here, so that makes you my master. Anywho, I am here to bring you some warm food." Maggie says, holding out a steaming plate of chocolate cake. "I made this today, specially for you." 

"I can't have that, you know this!" He whispers. 

"I just wanted you to feel welcome." Maggie says sadly. "I know it's bad to go behind master Lucius's back, but I must, for you are also my master. I must punish myself after, but it's my duty either way." 

"You don't have to. Take it back downstairs, please." says Draco.

Maggie sighs, "Can you at least have a tiny piece?" 

Draco drops his shoulders, "Fine... But only a bite." Maggie perks up and hands Draco the fork. 

He takes a small bite and smiles. He hasn't had a warm dessert in a long time. 

"You made this?" He asks Maggie. She nods in response. "It's really good." He compliments and takes another bite. "Now take it back before we both get in trouble." He says, putting the fork back on the plate and leaning away from it. 

Maggie rushes out the door, not failing to close it behind her. That's another thing he loves about Maggie, other than her kindness, she always closes the door behind her. She was also the only one who paid attention to him at all. Dobby was nice as well, but he was annoying and would often rat him out. Maggie never did, but she also hurt herself a lot for that very reason. 

He steps back into his closet and shuts the door. Maybe he can survive if he just stays right here forever.

***

Blaise's POV:

He was hungry, terribly and dreadfully hungry. All he found was old stale crackers and moldy bread. His mother had gone somewhere with her boyfriend, but he assumed they were eating nice warm food. 

It's all he wanted right now. A tapping came on his window. He looked up to see an old brown owl flying right in sight. He opens the window and the owl drops a letter right in his lap. He opens it and begins to read, but the owl keeps chirping. 

"You want payment, huh?" The owl nods its head once in response. "Well... I don't have much but I have some crackers. They aren't good though... I tried them. You want those?" Blaise asks and the owl nods once more. Blaise sighs, grabs the crackers from the kitchen and lays it in front of the owl. The owl nibbles on the crackers as he reads the letter.

It was fairly easy to read, other than the occasional messy letters on the page. The sentences seemed to tilt down a bit, which indicated this person wasn't skilled at penmanship. The first line makes Blaise perk up.

"Hi, it's Neville. Thank you for the Christmas Present. I really enjoyed it and the blanket really helps, as does everything else. By the way, where did you find that bracelet? It's really nice. As for your feelings, I've talked to my friend Luna about it and she says they're real and she also says you're a boy. If you're wondering how I feel about that, I'm ok with it. I'm also ok with you giving me a present. You seem like a really nice person, maybe we could be friends? If not, that's ok I just needed you to know that I am very grateful. Those cookies were delicious. I assumed you were Hunter Bruton from Hufflepuff, but Luna assured me that I was wrong about that. Maybe you're a Hufflepuff? I really wish I knew who you were. I may not feel the same, but I'd love to talk to you in person at least once. Regardless, thank you for everything, especially the letter. It did make me feel special."

Blaise smiled, but also felt pain inside his chest. Neville will never know who he is, he can't know. He wouldn't like him back and would probably just assume it was a big scheme he was playing. He stared at him yesterday at lunch, maybe because he is suspicious of him. It hurt him, but it's not like anything would happen between them anyways. Maybe if he was in another house things would be different. But that makes him feel guilty, he should be proud to be a Slytherin, but he isn't. 

He suddenly hears loud chatter and giggles. Great, mum was back with her boyfriend. He could even smell the food they came in with, which only make his stomach growl more. He looks over to notice that the owl is gone. He closes the window and plops himself onto his bed. 

The chaos of both his mother and her boyfriend's voices still rang through the house. He covers his ears and huffs angrily. He'll definitely have to buy some food on his own later. Or eat those crackers. He was just lucky that her boyfriend was irresponsible enough to let his galleons slip out of his pockets and into couches and left on counters. He was also glad he was dumb enough to not realize Blaise was taking it. 

He noticed footsteps go towards the bathroom. Footsteps just heavy enough to recongnize. That's another task: get the money once he leaves the room. It seems terrible, but it's either this or starve.


	28. Chapter 28

Neville's POV:

"We're here to see Frank and Alice Longbottom." His grandmother says to the lady behind the desk. He's been to Saint Mungo's every year since he was a very small baby. Nothing much happens, especially since his father barely speaks and his mother makes no sense. However, he still feels blessed enough to be able to see them at all. 

"A nurse will escort you." The lady says, gesturing to the nurse coming up towards them. They follow her and they lead them to the same room they've been to many, many, many times. 

The nurse goes up to his parents and softly says, "Your mother and son are here to see you." 

His grandmother talks to his mum first. "Hello, my Alice. We missed you so much." 

"Who are you?" His mother asks.

"I am your mother." His grandmother tells her. She looks confused, then doesn't respond to his grandmother any longer. "Come on, Neville." His grandmother says, pulling him to the same spot she was in. 

"H-Hi, mum." Neville says.

"Where are my glasses? Nurse, can you find my glasses?" She says to him.

"Uh..." He looks around and notices them right on the bedside table. "Here you go." He says, handing them to her.

She simply looks at them and pushes them away. "I don't want those." 

He knew she wouldn't understand, but he still informed her of events in his life every time they visited. This time wasn't an exception. "I have a girlfriend, mum!" 

"Where are my glasses?" She asks, not paying any attention to what he just said. 

He sighs and picks at his fingers. He then gets up and walks to his father. "Hi, dad. It's Neville." His father simply stares straight ahead. "Merry Christmas. I got you and mum a gift. It isn't much... but we assumed you'd both enjoy it." He grabs both of them out of his pocket and puts one on the beside table. "It's your engagement rings. We found them in your old room and thought maybe you'd want it."

"Come here, nurse." His mother said, looking right at him. 

He walks towards her, "Yes?"

She holds up a clutched fist and opens it, something falling from her hand. He looks down and notices that it's a bubblegum wrapper. He pockets it before dropping his mothers ring onto the table beside her. It seemed useless, it's not like they'd realize it was their engagement rings. His grandmother insisted that it would be something that would make them happy in the long run, but he seriously doubted it. 

"Let's go." His grandmother said, grabbing his hand and walking out the door. "You can throw that wrapper away, it's just trash." 

"No, I want to keep it." Neville says, clutching it in his pocket. 

"Alright." His grandmother says with a sigh. He knew she wanted him to be normal and not carry around every piece of trash she throws at him, but it's the only thing Neville has of his mother. Even if she thinks she's depositing trash to a nurse. 

They go back home and he searches around for his owl, hoping he came back with a note. Sadly enough, he found his owl but no letter. He sighs. Days like these are often dissappointing anyways. He should've known this would happen. 

He lays down, slides his new bracelet on his wrist and curls up into his soft brown blanket. It was paradise, yet he could only think about this person more and more. He decided to guess what they might look like. He guessed dark skin, short hair with tight curls, maybe he was tall? He kept thinking of a familiar face, but who was it? 

They must have a Z in either their first or last name. Zacharias Smith didn't seem likely. He had a girlfriend and often sneered at Neville. Couldn't be Zekeiel McHaigen, he had a girlfriend and they often snogged in the halls. Maybe a last name? No, can't be Andrew Zinke. He had a boyfriend and they also snogged frequently in the hallways. No one else could come to mind. Maybe the Z was a coincidence? A mistake of some sort? A way of throwing Neville off? 

He knew it was risky, but he grabbed a pen and began writing: "Please give me a hint to who you are. Anything will work, or maybe more than one. I'm just very curious. I can't seem to think of anything, especially with the Z stamped on the wax. I understand if you don't wish to talk with me, but I really want to at least have some clues to who you are. -Neville." He folds it up and gives it to his owl, who flies away into the darkness.

He waits, and even eats dinner and takes a shower. Even after all that, nothing comes back until finally, after many hours, his owl comes back with a letter in his beak. Neville smiles and catches it as it falls. 

He opens it at lightning speed. He opens to and notices the same handwriting from the present. 

"Ok then, you will get a hint. Here is one: I am not a Gryffindor nor am I a Hufflepuff. Also, there is a Z in my name, but you'll have to figure out if its in my first or last name. Also, we have talked before, but not too much. That's all I will give you for now. But don't stress over it too much. Besides, I'm probably not the best for you." 

"Huh..." Neville says to himself. He wonders why he is so focused on finding this person, but assumes it's just natural curiousity. 

"Neville, Hannah is here!" His grandma shouts from the other room. 

He takes off the bracelet and rushes into the next room. "Hi." He says as he sees Hannah.

Hannah simply smiles at him and walks into the kitchen. He follows her, feeling confused. 

He sits down beside her at the kitchen table and she turns to him, "Neville, you've been acting weird lately. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah... I didn't kn-know. I'm sorry." Neville says.

"It's alright. I'm just worried about you. But I also came by to see if maybe we could go on a date?" Hannah asks, glancing from him to the table.

"O-oh. Sure!" He says back. "Where would we go?" 

"Perhaps the Three Broomsticks?" Neville nods in response and they agree to go as soon as possible. 

They travel on Hannah's broomstick with Neville holding tight onto her waist and they soon make their way to the Three Broomsticks.

They find a seat and both order hot chocolate. 

"I'm happy to be back here. It's so warm and nostalgic." Hannah says.

"The one thing I remember most is the time when Fred and George came by here and tried to order firewhiskey in their fourth year." Neville says with a small chuckle.

"Yeah. That was pretty stupid of them." Hannah says with an eye rolls. 

Neville simply nods. He doesn't agree, in fact he thought it was hilarious. He loved it especially because that's the first time he was able to laugh about something with his fellow Gryffindors. It may have been stupid, but it made his year. 

He took a sip of his hot chocolate and closed his eyes. He missed the feeling of drinking a warm beverage in an atmosphere like the Three Broomsticks. He actually felt relaxed at this moment. Then, it was over as quickly as it started, at least that's how it felt. 

After long talks and many sips of hot chocolate, they paid and went on their way. When he was walking out the door he collided with a tall man. 

"I'm sorry." He apologized, looking up to see that he was much more familiar. He was face to face with Blaise Zabini once more. 

Blaise seemed just as shocked as him. "I'm sorry." He says back. However, he doesn't move from his spot. 

Oddly enough, Neville felt warm in Blaise's presence. He had almost forgotten how great it felt to be around Blaise. Somehow he had this energy about him that drew you in, that's all Neville knew. He knew it meant nothing seeing as Blaise was a terrible person, that's for sure. I mean come on, surely he got all the Slytherins to pick on him and say he liked Blaise. 

"I'm sorry." Blaise says once again and walks away as quickly as he can. He notices Blaise swinging open the doors of the Three Broomsticks. 

"Neville! I was wondering where you went! Blaise didn't hurt you or anything, right?" Hannah asks, holding her broomstick in hand.

"N-no. I'm fine." Neville says, taking a deep breath and walking towards Hannah. 

"Ok, that's good. Let's go then." Hannah says awkwardly, getting onto her broom with Neville following shortly after. 

They zoom off into the sky and back to his house. At this point, it was pretty dark and Neville was pretty tired. As soon as he got home, he plopped onto his bed and fell asleep. 

Luckily he had forgotten all about the dream he had about Blaise as soon as he woke up.


	29. Chapter 29

Harry's POV:

He was happy to be at the Burrow for Christmas instead of with the Dursley's, but Ginny kept sneaking glances at him and freaking him out. Not to mention the terrible nightmares that won't go away. However, some of them now involve Draco. It's either Draco getting hurt or dying, or Draco killing or hurting him or his friends. 

He didn't want either, but at least Draco hurting him doesn't make him have another identity crisis. Yet, even his thoughts when he is awake make him question everything. All he can think and worry about is Draco. His boggart still involved his father. But he still thinks that was also some plan, but deep down he knows that makes no sense. While all of this is happening, he can't forgot the impending doom he knows is coming soon. He worries Draco is going to be a part of not only his, but all of Hogwarts doom. 

Something about it dissappointed him. But, after all, he shouldn't be surprised. The only Slytherin he has hope for is Blaise Zabini due to a word going around that Neville did indeed get that present. Except no one knows it was Blaise except him. The only thing that worries him is that he is Draco's friend. But, the urgency to get the perfect gift for Neville is a good alabi for him. He just hopes he wasn't fooled. 

Hands grab his shoulders, making him jump. "Merry Christmas, Harry!" Fred and George say at once. 

"Don't do that guys!" He scolds.

"Sorry." They both say, sitting down on the couch in front of him. 

"So... you and Ginny, huh?" Fred asks, giving him a wink. 

"You aren't implying that we like each other, right? I simply went to the ball with her, that's all." Harry says. 

"That was all?!" Ginny shouts, coming from the kitchen. Harry's eyes widen. "If you didn't like me you should've said no!" She stomps up the stairs and out of sight. He takes a deep breath, but still feels no sense of relaxation whatsoever. 

"That's harsh, my friend." George says. 

"Was I too mean?" Harry asks, rubbing his neck. 

"Well, not mean but maybe you should've said it better." says Hermione who takes a seat beside Harry with a tea cup in hand. 

"I didn't know she was there!" 

"Go apologize then." Hermione says. 

"But-"

"Go apologize!" Hermione demands. He sighs but gets up and makes his way to Ginny's room. 

He knocks on the door. "Who is it?" A small voice asks.

"Harry."

"Go away!" She demands.

"Please, let me in. I need to talk to you." Harry pleads.

"Whatever. Make it quick." She says. He opens the door to see Ginny sitting on her bed reading a book on Transfiguration. 

"Ginny, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to put it that way. Well, I did but it was a mistake."

She lays the book down on her lap and narrows her eyes at him, "Why did you even go to the ball with me? To lead me on?!"

"No! I honestly just didn't want to break your heart by saying no." He lied partially. He didn't tell her about the part of wanting to forget about every moment he had with Draco.

"Due to your words I assume you don't like me back?" She says sadly.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. You're a great person and I really love you, but as my family. Listen, a lot is going on with me right now and I'm not even sure I understand my own brain. Something is wrong with me, terribly wrong and it's freaking me out. Even if I were to have feelings for you, the way I am right now would ruin it and you. I'm sorry if I broke your heart, I really don't mean to hurt you. I'd never want that, which is why I'm telling you the truth." Harry says.

Ginny's once angry expression turns soft. "I understand. I'm sorry if I stressed you out."

"No, not at all. Never think that. I honestly stress myself out. I should've just said no in the first place. I'm sorry, Ginny." 

"I forgive you. But, it was nice to dance with you and dine together." Ginny says. 

"It was nice. I hope you find a guy much better than me soon. You deserve it." Harry says with a smile.

Ginny smiles back, "You are indeed an utter buffoon. I could do better anyways." She jokes.

"Ouch!" Harry holds his chest dramatically, which earns a chuckle from Ginny. He smiles and puts his hands in his pockets. "Merry Christmas, by the way." 

"Yeah, Merry Christmas." She smiles back awkwardly. 

Harry leaves the room feeling much better. Maybe now things won't be so weird between him and Ginny. Then again, he kinda fueled this fire. He fueled the fire with Draco, now look where he is. He can only hope this fire dies down as quickly as it started. 

He also hopes he will completely forget Draco exists soon before he loses his mind. He couldn't help but wonder: What in the world is wrong with me?! 

***

Draco's POV:

He slept in his closet once again. What could he say? It felt much more safe then his actual bed. He never understood why, it's not like his father ever checked on him at night or at all. If he ever came up to his room it was because he did something wrong or something was needed of him. 

A knock was heard on his door once more. He stumbled up from his bed made of blankets and pillows to see who was at the door. He opened it to reveal Maggie. 

"Master, master Lucius wishes to see you." She said, voice shaking slightly. He notices a bright red mark on her arm, but chose to ignore it. He didn't want to think of why it was there. He also didn't want to think of the reasons why his father needed to talk to him, so he tried to walk to his office with an empty mind. Sadly, his mind raced like crazy. It was much worse considering his father seemed extra aggressive this week. 

He knocked on the door. "Enter." says his father sternly. He slowly opens the door and gulps. His eyes are met with his father's cold ones. He sat as still as a tree in winter, which only made Draco more nervous. 

He steps inside and stands in front of his father's desk, hands at his side and maintaining a good posture. He was taught this rule when he was six years old. Never ever have a bad posture, especially in public.

"Yes, father?" He asks calmly, managing to keep a steady voice. 

"Sit." His father demands and Draco quickly obeys. "Sit up straight." He demands again, and Draco obeys once again. "The dark lord will be here soon. I expect you to be obedient and respectful. You will do everything I ask you to and what ever he asks you to. No negotiation. Understood?" 

"Yes, father." Draco says, not taking his focus off every little thing he does. If he makes one mistake, he will leave here with another bruise. Or perhaps none at all, just a very very loud lecture. But that was wishful thinking. 

"Now get out." His father demands. Draco walks out, shocked that he managed to make it out of there without pain. 

He waits until he gets back to his room to take a deep breath. Though he failed to realize that he had much bigger issues to deal with than his father.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW/CW: a small amount of self-harm, drinking, and abuse.

Draco's POV:

He could feel the room darken as the Dark Lord entered. He stared down at the dark wood of the table. 

"Hello, sister." His aunt's voice came in. 

"Good afternoon, Bellatrix." His mother said back. 

"Where's my new death eater?" says the hauntingly familar voice from across the room.

"Here, my lord." His father says, grabbing Draco's arm firmly, nearly digging his nails into Draco's skin and pulling him up from the chair. "Look up," His father demanded in a whisper. He does as he is told, only to be rewarded with a sense of fear. 

The Dark Lord was very close to him, stepping closer every minute. He pressed his lips together at an attempt to keep them from shaking. 

"Draco, my dear Draco." says the Dark Lord in the same quiet voice that makes you shiver. "Have you been working on my assignment for you?" 

"Yes, m-ma-my lord." He stuttered. He could feel his father's deadly glare aimed at him from behind. 

"Are you lying to me?" He asks, bringing his face closer to Draco's, staring him straight in the eyes. Draco noticed his pupils weren't circular but rather skinny and vertical and his eyes were a deep red. He brought his claw like fingers up to Draco's face. "There will be consequences for lying, you know. Big consequences." His sharp fingernails scratched Draco's face, leaving a small sting. 

"No, my lord. I promise. I will get it done as soon as possible." Draco says quickly, proud at his lack of stuttering this time. 

"Very well." He responds, pulling away from Draco and walking past him. "Severus will be here soon, I assume?" 

"Yes, my lord." His father says behind him. "He should be here any minute."

"Good." Draco glances down and notices a large snake slithering across the floor towards the Dark Lord as he moves around the room as if he was floating. To his loyal followers it would look beautiful, but to Draco it was something that would haunt him until he dropped into his grave.

As if on cue, his potions Professor stepped into the room. For once he was glad to see him. Something about his presence at this moment made the situation seem much less terrifying. 

"Severus." The Dark Lord says in a whisper-like voice while still managing to have his voice echo around the room. "Did you get me my information?"

"Yes, my lord." Snape replies, swiftly making his way towards the Dark Lord. They whisper to each other then exit the room alone. 

His father then grabs his arm tightly and pulls him out of the other door. He pulls him upstairs and into his room, slamming the door behind them and throwing Draco onto his bed.

"You dare to lie to him?!" He whispers, "If he finds out you've lied me and your mother can die! Do you understand the danger you've put us in you idiot!"

"I'm sorry. I was... I was just..." He trails off.

"What? You were what, Draco?! Afraid?! You know how ridiculous you sound?! How weak you sound?! You didn't even try to control how you spoke! You embarrassed me and your mother. How dare you?!" He whispers.

"I'm so-" He is cut off by a sharp collision of his shoulder to his father's cane. His eyes began to burn and his vision got blurry. He tried to stop it, but it just hurt so much. He felt tears flowing down his face and felt as if he was naked. 

"Give me a break! What are you, a girl?" His father scolded. "Stop it this instant!" But he couldn't. The harder he tried the harder he sobbed. He could barely see anything, his face burned from embarrassment, and his head pounded. He could barely breathe. "Snap out of it!" His father shouted, slapping his cane across the side of Draco's body. He stumbled back, nearly falling off his bed but managed to catch himself. Oddly enough, this snapped him out of it. 

"Now get a hold of yourself. You're embarrassing us all." His father sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, "Why couldn't I have had a normal son? Or better yet no son at all?! Just had to be lucky enough to get you, huh?" Draco stares at the floor. "Sit up." His father demands and Draco fixes his posture. With a deadly glare, his father turns away and leaves Draco alone in his room once more. 

He could feel the tears coming back, but held them back with a hard punch to his thigh. That managed to stop it. He took a deep breath and looked up to see Maggie standing in the doorway with sad eyes. 

"Master, you punished yourself, why?" She asks. 

"I did nothing like that." Draco responds.

"Well, why did you punch yourself, master?" Maggie asks.

"Go away." Draco demands sternly. 

Maggie flinches away from him, "Sorry, master. I'll leave, I'll leave." She says, her voice shaking as well as her legs as she stumbles out the door. Draco would've felt guilty, but he had no time for that.

***

Blaise's POV:

Day's like these were drinking days for Blaise. Well, any day at home was a drinking day, but especially today. It all started last night, but he didn't expect that run in with Neville to trigger anything in him. But as soon as his body touched Neville, his whole mood shifted. He worried Neville was afraid of him because of the way he acted and the intense thoughts and emotions he had that night drove him so crazy that he was thankful that he bought lots of firewhiskey. 

He couldn't stop thinking about what would've happened if he just kissed Neville right then and there, but it isn't that easy, it never will be. It would also be incredibly inappropriate and rude considering he was with the girlfriend he is clearly happy with. He thought he was finally at peace with it, but he isn't. Their encounter last night proves that. He blasted the music in his room without regard to what his mother will do if she hears it when she comes back through the door. But knowing her, she wouldn't be back for hours, maybe days, maybe weeks. If he was lucky, maybe even months. 

He whined and cried like a baby, but he couldn't help it. He ached for Neville, but he would never have him. He debated many times finding a random girl to be with for at least one night or maybe two, but he decided against it. It never made him feel guilty or dirty before, but just the fact that he considered it made him disgusted with himself. 

It's not like he didn't like girls, they were great. But Neville was different. He has been with many girls, but he never loved them, he just wanted to be with them for a couple of nights to kill his mind, but now it's different. It's been different for two years. For once in his life he's felt love for someone, not to mention actual empathy. But now he wishes he didn't. It's awful. 

He begins to wonder if this is what he made those girls feel. Maybe this is payback for all those times he's used them? He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. 

But he didn't want to think about that, it only made him hate himself more. So instead, he drowned his sorrows with firewhiskey. 

"Blaise Zabini!" His mother's banshee voice screamed. He jumps up from his seat and stares at his mother with wide-eyes. "Turn that revolting music down and- have you been drinking?!" She shouts, "Answer me!"

He's silent. His mother grinds her teeth. "You're just like your father. A drunk! A dark wizard! I hate you!" She screams. "I hate you! You know what, get the bloody hell out of my house!" 

All he does is stand there, staring at her. "Get out!" She screams, her voice nearly shaking the walls. 

He begins to grab his stuff in a hurry, putting them all in his trunk. When his mother isn't looking, specifically holding her head in her hands and muttering bad things about him, he sneaks the bottles of firewhiskey in his trunk. Then closes it up and pushes past his mother.

She grabs his arm and he stares at her with wide-eyes, "And if I ever see you again, you will be arrested." She threatens, violently letting go of his arm. "Now get out of my house. Now!" She shouts. 

He rushes towards the front door and nearly runs from the house he once lived in. Great, now he's miserable with no shelter which also means he will soon be without money. 

Isn't his life amazing?


	31. Chapter 31

Neville's POV:

He was glad to be back at Hogwarts, well, that's what he thought until he entered Potions. 

He was at least relieved to know that people seemed to have forgotten about the embarrassing things he revealed to them under the truth potion, but then his nerves went all crazy for no reason at all. 

He reached into his pocket, only to realize he had forgotten his bracelet. He began to panic, but the eyes he felt on him made him push it all down. 

He glanced beside him, noticing Blaise looking back from the side of his eyes, then quickly turning his attention back to the board. He really wishes Blaise would stop that. It must be some sort of joke, but he'd honestly rather have Blaise shout at him than inspecting him just to freak him out. 

They both reached for the dittany and their hands touched. A strange, but oddly comforting feeling rushed through Neville's body. He couldn't pin point it, but it was something that made him happy but also incredibly uncomfortable. However, he decided he liked that feeling. But why did it happen at that moment? 

A weird thought entered his head. What if he grabbed his hand? No, that's weird. But he really wanted to. 

"Can you hand me the aconite?" Blaise asks. Neville had almost forgotten what his voice sounded like. That strange feeling appeared again and he forgot what was happening around him until Blaise says, "Nev-Neville?"

"What? Oh, yeah." He reaches for the aconite and hands it to Blaise. Their fingers touch momentarily and Neville unknowingly smiles. Everything in his body told him to reach for Blaise's hand, but logic told him that was ridiculous and weird. He would also probably be ridiculed for weeks, maybe months if he did that. 

He couldn't help but repeatedly ask himself what was wrong with him. Was he slipped another potion? 

Suddenly Blaise stands up, asks Snape a question, then leaves the room. Neville simply shrugs it off until he notices that he doesn't come back at all. 

Out of kindness, but possibly also stupidity, he grabs Blaise's things and carries them with him. Even though Blaise is terrible, everyone deserves kindness sometimes. He would want someone to do that for him. Although, he struggled to keep everything in hand.

As he walks to his next class, he runs into Hannah. 

"Hi, Neville! Oh, you're carrying a lot of stuff." She points out.

"Yeah... Uh, well my partner left his stuff in class and didn't come back so I thought I'd help out." Neville grunts and drops the books on the floor.

"You didn't need to do this, you know. But it's very kind. I'm just worried you'll break your arms." 

"I'll be fine." He says, picking up the books and finally being smart enough to put them into the school bag. "See! Problem solved." He says, putting the bag over his shoulder. It was actually quite heavy now. 

"Whose stuff is that anyways?" Hannah asks.

"Uh... B-Blaise Zabini's." He mutters. 

"Can you say that louder, please?" Hannah requests.

"Yeah... Erm, it's Blaise's Zabini's stuff." He blurts out. 

"Neville..." Hannah sighs, "You know Slytherin's are arrogant and rude. He'll just be mean if you do stuff like this. Seriously, I don't want you to get hurt. Just take it back."

"But-"

"Get to class! You don't want to be late." Professor McGonagall says, walking quickly past them. "Quickly!" She says right before she turns the corner. 

"Well, I better get to class." Neville says, walking away from Hannah briskly. He can hear her protests, but decides not to listen. 

Before his next class, he quickly grabs his bracelet from his dorm and rushes toward the classroom, only to realize he is pretty late. He kicks himself at his lack of time managment, but manages to run fast enough where he's only a couple of minutes late. 

He rushes in Defense Against the Dark Arts, almost completely out of breath. He takes a seat, noticing Blaise still isn't around. After many minutes of staring at the table and tuning out Professor Lupin, the door creaks open. 

Neville's mood elevates when he catches sight of Blaise. He walks up to the table and takes a seat, not once taking his eyes away from the floor. Neville fidgets with his fingers for a while before hesitantly tapping Blaise on the arm. 

Blaise looks at him in utter confusion and raises an eyebrow. 

"I... uh," He whispers, "I h-have y-your stuff." At this point he wishes he put on the bracelet before this. It seems to have some magical power that makes him confident. 

Blaise looks at him weird again, so he hands him the heavy school bag. However, he doesn't stop looking at him like he's crazy. 

"Thanks..." Blaise whispers back, taking the bag from Neville's hands. Their fingers brush once more and Neville turns away at an attempt to not let these weird emotions show.

Even if they made him feel crazy, it was the most amazing thing he has ever felt. He only felt this once, and it was with Blaise the day they went to Honeydukes together. What can it be? Is he just so touch starved that a simple touch like this makes him all weird? 

It's not like his grandmother doesn't love him, she just doesn't like to touch anyone ever. She didn't even hug her own children or her own mother, that's just who she is. She only hugged him once, but it was a very awkward one which he was certain they both hated. She shows love in other ways, like sitting in the living room and talking with him about everything under the sun for an hour. However, it can feel lonely, especially when you only have your grandmother to talk to.

Maybe that is it! He just hasn't had enough physical touch in his life. That's all it is. Now he can stop worrying about it. 

He reaches into his pocket to put the bracelet on, and apparently in bad timing. Just as he reached to grab it, the door to the classroom creaks open again.

Professor McGonagall shows up in the doorway, "Neville Longbottom?" He looks up and she beckons him to come with her. He stands up, grabs his things and follows her down the hall. "You're going to see Professor Dumbledore, he has something important to tell you." They stand in front of the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office. She says the password and leads him up the steps. 

"Neville, come sit." says the Professor when they enter his office. Neville does just that and sits right in front of the Professor's desk. "Now, I have some terrible news. Your grandmother called today and wanted me to inform you that your father has... died." Dumbledore says, his eyes drooped down in sadness. 

"What?" Neville asks, not being able to believe what he is being told. 

"I'm sorry for your loss. I really am. If you need to take the rest of the day off, you may do so." Dumbledore suggests.

His chest tightens. His father can't be dead! He never even had the chance to speak to him, to hear his voice! He can't be dead! This isn't true. 

"Neville, are you alright?" As soon as Dumbledore said those words, it was like a switch. He began to wheeze like crazy, his eyes darting around the room for something. He didn't know what they were looking for, but he couldn't stop them. "Breathe, Neville. In and out. In through your nose, out of your mouth."

He did just that, but it only made it worse. The more he tried to breathe normally the worse it got. 

Finally, he knew what he needed. He struggled to reach into his pocket and grab the bracelet, but it falls onto the floor. He grunts in frustration and agony. 

"Wait, I'll get it." Dumbledore stands up and picks up the bracelet. He gives it a strange look, one Neville can't really understand, then grabs Neville's hand and slips it onto his wrist. Neville was too preoccupied with the issue he was freaking out about to wonder how Dumbledore knew to do that. 

Suddenly the pressure on his chest vanishes and he can breathe again. He takes many deep breaths and closes his eyes. 

Even though his sadness remains, he is happy enough to feel in control. 

"I have a question for you. This may be a bad time so, forgive me. Where did you find that bracelet?" Dumbledore asks.

"Oh. Well, I didn't really find it. Someone gave it to me but I don't know who it was. Why?"

"Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you this, but I helped someone enchant that bracelet. I may be wrong but I believe that person gave it to you. If it makes you feel any better, I can assure you that person cares about you very much." Dumbledore says, "But I'm getting off topic, aren't I?" He chuckles softly. 

"It's ok. I'd rather change the subject. May you tell me who it is?" Neville asks.

"I apologize but that isn't my place. I will have a talk with them today about it to make sure it's them but regardless, it's their decision to tell you who it is. Although, I will tell you that it's someone you would expect the least." Dumbledore says with a smile. 

Neville cocked his head at the Professor, but all he does is pour a cup of tea. 

"Want one?" He asks and Neville shakes his head in response. "Alright, well, if you go back to your dorm there won't be a punishment. I understand if you do so and I'll inform your teachers."

"I think I will. Thanks, Professor." Neville says, standing up with his things in hand and leaving the room.


	32. Chapter 32

Blaise's POV:

He was worried, very worried. Even though it drove him crazy that their hands kept touching and he had to go scream in a bathroom because of it, he wished he was here right now, just to make sure he was safe. 

As he walked towards the Slytherin common room, he was called by Professor Trelawney. "Dumbledore needs to see you, dear." She says. 

"Alright... The password?" He asks. 

"Sherbet lemon, dear." She says, her eyes bulging behind her glasses. He nods and rushes away. That woman was weird. 

He steps up to the gargoyle, says the password, and steps up the now revealed spiral steps. 

He feels suddenly comforted by the familiar office. 

"Blaise! No need to sit, unless you want to of course. I only need to talk with you briefly." Dumbledore says.

"Uh... Ok, what is it?"

"How is that bracelet working out for you?"

Oh no. "Oh, yeah it's good. Works really well." He gulped, but spoke confidently. 

"Oh, really? You don't seem to be wearing it right now." Dumbledore points out.

He paused for a bit, thinking of an excuse, "Yeah, I left it in the common room." 

"Or... You gave it to someone." Dumbledore smirks and stokes his long gray beard. 

Oh. No. "Huh?"

"Someone came into my office, a young Gryffindor. He had that bracelet in his pocket, the same one I enchanted. It may be some coincidence, but if I'm correct I'd say you gifted him that bracelet, yeah?" Blaise simply stares at the floor, debating whether or not to run away. "Just so you know, that bracelet helped him in a time of need today. He might've passed out if it wasn't for your gift. That's very kind of you." Blaise smiles at this. "But I'm assuming you didn't simply do it to be kind?"

"What do you mean?" Blaise asks.

"Well, you don't seem like the type to do that and well, don't think an old man doesn't notice certain things..." Dumbledore smiles.

"What things?" He asks nervously. 

Dumbledore sighs, "I guess I must tell you a story. Sit here right here," He point to the seat in front of him and Blaise goes to sit in it. "Well, when I was your age there was this boy I knew. He was a student at Durmstrang, I was in Hogwarts. But we were very much alike. We became lovers very soon after meeting each other. I loved him, sometimes I still think of him... But terrible things happened between us. We fought each other, becoming enemies, and he showed his dark side. I was heartbroken." He stares at his desk with sad eyes, "But I can see that love in you. I notice how you look at him. The importance of that story is that there is nothing wrong with how you feel. It's completely normal. Love is a beautiful thing and you should be glad you can experience it."

"I can't! He has a girlfriend and he'll never love me back and even a tiny bit of physical contact with him ruins my ability to think and act correctly! I hate it." Blaise vents.

"I thought the same way... But these feelings remind you that you have love in your heart, that you're human! That's something special. It may hurt, but it's a blessing to feel such an emotion. Don't take it for granted, ever. I took it for granted and now I'm regretting it. You can learn things from everyone you love, even if it doesn't work out. You have them for a reason. They teach you something in life. For example, Gellert taught me what love felt like. Not only that, but he made me realize who I truly was. If I never met him, I never would've known. Now, think about what your love towards Neville is teaching you. Even if it hurts, you need this. You wouldn't have it if you didn't." Dumbledore says, giving him a kind smile. 

Blaise furrows his brows and thinks for a bit. He's right. If he never met Neville he never would've known what true love felt like and would've been stuck in a life of lust and manipulation. He never would've known empathy, compassion, and most importantly: happiness. Even if he did feel miserable at the moment. 

"I understand now. Thank you." Blaise says.

"I am happy to help. What can I say, when you're as old as me you learn many things to pass onto the people who need it most. Just so you know, though, I am proud of you for being so generous to Neville. He really needs it. You can be assured that he is very thankful, even if he has no idea it's you." Dumbledore tells him, going up to him and handing him a bag of sherbet lemons. "That's for your time." He gives him a kind smile and pats him on the shoulder. 

"Thank you, Professor." Blaise smiles back and Dumbledore nods in response. He takes a deep breath and walks out the door. 

As he's walking toward the common room once more, the halls now empty, he is stopped by someone.

"What did you do to Neville?!" says Hannah Abbott, her face as red as a beet.

"Nothing? What do you mean?" Blaise asks awkwardly. 

"He sits there and stares at you like you're some unicorn and keeps spacing out. And don't think I didn't notice how sad he looked when the word got around that you had a little thing for that revolting Malfoy. What did you do, hit him with a love potion?!" Hannah shouts.

"First of all, I don't like Malfoy at all, we are just friends. Second, I really haven't noticed any of this. Third, why in the world would I give a love potion to Neville?" Blaise asks. 

"To humiliate him, that's what. Don't act like you don't want to see him suffer. You all do! You're all sick!" Hannah shouts. "How dare you?! And don't try to say you didn't notice, I saw you looking too! You sick little snake!"

"I'm telling you-"

"Shut up! Don't think you can manipulate me! In fact, I'll get him tested for that love potion and it's gonna come back positive. Then you'll be expelled! Maybe then you'll realize you can't just go around picking on people!" Hannah shouts at him, spinning on her heels with her hair nearly hitting him in the face, and stomping away in a huff. 

How crazy was she?! Neville didn't even act like he had feelings for Blaise and he never will act that way. She seriously had a problem, he knew that for sure. 

***

Hannah's POV:

She came into the hospital wing the next day after she had begged Neville to go there and get tests done. 

She stomps into the room, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She was ready to confront Blaise as soon as the results came back. She was very certain they would be positive. With everything she has seen since she has been with Neville, it would make complete sense that Blaise slipped him a potion, especially after they made a rumor about him liking Blaise. It was all some sick plan she was sure of it. 

Between the stares, sad looks, and that strange encounter at the Three Broomsticks, she was convinced he had been enchanted.

"Hi, Hannah!" Neville says, standing up beside his bed and grabbing his stuff.

"Wait... why are you packing things up?" She asks.

Madame Pomfrey speaks for him, "The tests for the love potions came back negative. I even did other tests, they were negative! Nothing to worry about here!" She says with a smile.

What?! That can't be true! Unless...

"Oh, great. Uh, I'll be outside." She says, stepping outside the room and going into an empty bathroom. 

If she is thinking correctly, this means that... No, that can't be! They kissed each other! But then again, many gay guys always date girls first before they realize they're gay. 

That would explain the awkwardness and seemingly lack of interest Neville showed in her. Even though they were dating, he would never stare at her the way he stared at Blaise. In fact, he never stared at her. He never even acknoledged her until she asked him out.

She wishes it wasn't true and wishes she could find another logical explaination, but there simply isn't one. Neville didn't like her and he never will. Neville likes boys! 

She steps outside the bathroom and sees Neville waiting for her with his blanket.

"Neville, we need to talk." She says softly.

"Of course. What is it?" He asks. 

"I... I think we need to break up." Hannah says, trying to hold back the tears. She felt stupid for feeling sad about it. 

"What? Why?" He asks. 

"I just... I don't... I don't believe we are working out. It's awkward and well, I just don't think we have good chemistry. I'm sorry. I gotta go." She says, leaving him without another word. 

She feels heartbroken, but it was the right thing to do. It was weird between them anyways.


	33. Chapter 33

Neville's POV:

He felt silly, but he needed someone to talk to. With his quill in hand and parchment on his desk, he wrote to the mysterious gift-giver.

"Hi, it's Neville Longbottom. I know you must not want to talk to me at all, but I needed someone to speak to and I thought you'd be a good person for that. I've been feeling down lately, mostly about my father. I was told the other day that he is now dead. I never even got to hear his voice or get a hug from him or hear 'I love you, Neville!' But now it's too late. I should've known he'd never get better. My mother is still alive, but she isn't exactly in good shape either. You can say anything to her, but she won't respond like she should. I've never heard an 'I love you, Neville!' From her either. I have a grandmother, but she is kind of reserved. Not that she doesn't love me. If she didn't, I'd probably not even live there anymore and I wouldn't see my parents at the hospital. I also got broken up with today. It's weird though, I'm not really sad about the break up but rather sad that maybe I was too boring? Maybe I was too weird or ugly? Maybe I shouldn't be talking to you about this, but my grandmother would simply say, 'Sorry about that Neville. Hope it gets better!' Then go about her day. Then again, she is also grieving with me I'm sure. Sorry if this is too depressing. You don't have to reply I promise. I just needed to vent. That's all. Goodbye." 

He folded up the letter and gave it to his owl. He opened the window and the owl flew away. He didn't expect his owl to come back with a letter, but luckily enough, he came back nearly thirty minutes later with a letter in beak. 

He opened it up and smiled. 

"Hello, Neville. Never think I don't want to talk to you, I simply keep my distance to be respectful to you. However, I will always be here if you need me. I really am sorry for your loss. That must feel terrible. I can't imagine what it must be like, but I know what it's like to not have a normal family that's for sure. As for your break up, I'm really sorry that happened. I don't think it would be because you're boring because I think you're the most interesting person in the world! It can't be because you're ugly because well... you're not at all! Just look at you! I'm shocked anyone would think you are anything but attractive. And you aren't weird, not at all. People just don't know you enough and they often make assumptions without evidence. If she thinks any of these things about you, which I'm sure she doesn't, then she was a bad match anyways. You deserve love, don't ever think otherwise. You deserve every good thing in the world to happen to you because you're a good person with a good heart. I'm sorry such terrible things happen to you, they shouldn't. The universe really is attacking the wrong person, that's for sure. By the way, this isn't too depressing at all. In fact, you can tell me anything and everything, no matter how sad or terrible it is. If you need a safe space, I'm right here. I'll never judge you and I'll never turn you away. I promise you. If I was as brave as you, perhaps I would meet you face to face and make an unbreakable vow to you saying that I'd never judge you and always be a place of comfort for you. But since that would terrify me and ruin everything, you must trust me instead. Just know that not everything is your fault and everything gets better with time. I know that's hard to believe, especially for me, but for someone like you it's inevitable to get better with time. You'll find a person who truly loves you and you'll find peace. It may take a while, but it'll come. Thank you for confiding in me and I really hope you find happiness."

Neville smiles wide and writes once again. 

"Thank you, mystery man. I feel much better. I'm glad you talked to me because I was honestly worried you wouldn't. I'm just really scared that my mother will die soon as well, but I hope she doesn't. I'm also pretty scared for the future. I often forget it, but then I remember that he-who-must-not-be-named is back and maybe we will all die. Again, sorry to make everything so grim. I just wish things were normal. Also, if you don't mind, I want to know about your family. If it makes you uncomfortable, then you don't have to say anything. Again, thank you so much. P.S. I'm not brave at all, but thanks anyways."

He sends the letter and another comes back. 

"Thank you, Sir Longbottom! And yes, you are brave. I can tell. Don't argue about it either because I'm right. Also I'm happy to be of help to you any day. Anyways, I agree, the world is becoming scarier every day. I often worry about my friend as well with this whole you-know-who thing. I can't exactly say why, but I often worry about his safety, especially at his home. That worries me the most. But I understand every fear you have. It's ok to feel that way, it is all pretty scary. I really hope your mother gets better soon and that she stays alive long enough for you to spend lots of quality time with her. For my family, I will tell you about it but I will warn you that it's kinda depressing as well. Well, my father is somewhere, I don't know where. And my mother has this boyfriend that is incredibly rude and stupid and well... he really hates me. He blames me for everything and my mother believes him. They also stay out for long periods of time, go to fancy restrauants, and I'm left at home all alone with very little food. If there is any food, it's very old and moldy. Eventually I had to start getting my own food... but I have no money. So, I started taking galleons that my mum's boyfriend would leave laying around and he wouldn't notice since he's incredibly rich. Well the other day I was really feeling bad so I went out to the Three Broomsticks and bought lots of firewhiskey to you know, numb myself. My music was too loud so I didn't hear her come in. She saw me drunk and maybe a few empty bottles and I got kicked out. Sorry if this sounds like me asking for pity. I promise that's not it at all. But it does feel great to tell someone other than my friend. Maybe you'll think I'm weird now, or terrible for stealing money. If so, I understand. But thanks for asking." 

Neville sits in silence. How could someone go through this? How could a parent do that to their child? He scribbles angrily. 

"That's terrible, all of it! I am so sorry you go through that. Your mother shouldn't be like that! You seem like such a kind person. You don't deserve this, you can't possibly deserve it! I know you're scared for me to know who you are, but maybe we can give you shelter at my house? My grandmother makes good food! And you'll never be ignored that's for sure. What do you say?"

He sends off the letter and shakes his leg nervously while waiting for another response. Then, the letter dropped into his lap. 

"I appreciate your kindness, but I'm afraid you wouldn't want me in your house. But I really do appreciate it. I can handle it on my own though, so don't worry about me. If you need anything else to vent about, then do so, but I'll have to go if this is it. If so, goodbye and thank you for listening. You're really a sweet guy, Neville." 

He sighs sadly and closes up the letter. He wishes he could help this person, but without knowing who they were made that impossible. So instead, he rushes out of the dorm and towards the Ravenclaw common room. 

He is met with a Ravenclaw, just about to step into the common room.

"Wait!" He shouts. 

"Woah! Why are you in such a hurry?" They ask him. 

"Is Luna Lovegood in there?" He asks, breathing heavily.

"Yes. I'm assuming the matter is urgent?" says the boy. 

"Yes." He grunts out. 

"Alright. Step inside before the door closes." He says, urging him inside the room. His eyes scan the room and catch sight of Luna's light blonde hair. 

He rushes towards her and sits in front of her.

"Oh, what are you doing here, Neville?" She asks.

"I need to know who that person is. It's a matter of life or death." Neville says.

"Well... Listen, I don't want to out anyone and you might be upset with the answer."

"But this person is in danger. Please, Luna." He pleads. 

"If it makes you feel better, I will be the one to help this person. But, I can't tell you who it is. That would be betrayal. I'm sorry."

"Just please, get him help. That's all I want." Neville says with pleading eyes.

"I will. I'm worried he won't tell me what the issue is, so please enlighten me."

"Well, I won't say everything but he is homeless and doesn't have any food. I'm worried he'll die." Neville says with urgency, "Just please find him as quickly as possible."

"I'll go right now. I'll make sure he's safe, ok?" Luna promises, closing her book and standing up to leave. Neville followers her but they seperate soon after. He notices her making her way to either the basement or the dungeons. 

But that wouldn't make sense... He said he wasn't a Hufflepuff. She would be in the Ravenclaw Tower if it was a Ravenclaw. It can't be a Slytherin! That isn't possible! 

If it was a Slytherin, they must be some outcast and must have a Z in their name. The only one he could think of was impossible. There's no way that Blaise Zabini could be the person who gave the gift. Unless the guy lied about his house. Maybe he is a Hufflepuff?

But then he kept thinking of the possibility of Blaise Zabini being the mysterious gift-giver. It oddly made him happy, except that's not the case and Blaise Zabini is evil, just like every Slytherin. 

He stands there for a while, then an intrusive thought enters his brain. He can see Blaise and him together, holding hands, him saying he was the person who gave the gift, and reaching in to kiss him. And kiss him for a long time. 

Neville shakes his head, but the thought remains. He turns to the Fat Lady, only to notice her giving him a weird look. 

"Are you just going to stand here?" She asks him in a sassy tone.

"I can't remember the password!" He complains softly, pulling at his hair. The more he thought about Blaise, the more his chest tightened. 

"Are you alright... dear?" The Fat Lady says, speaking almost fearfully. 

His head was spinning. He almost relaxed and let his mind take him away, but the logic in his brain kept screaming at him that this was wrong. He began to wheeze. Oh where did he put that bracelet?!

The more he tried to put the thought away, the farther the thought went. He felt disgusted with himself. How perverted was he?!

"Let me in!" He pleaded with the Fat Lady, tearing streaming down his face. 

The Fat Lady looked at him in fear. Suddenly the entrance opened and he rushed in. 

He ignored the voices around the room saying: "Neville?!" "My goodness, are you ok?" "Bloody hell, what's wrong with you?" and much more. 

He instead runs to his dorm and closes the door tight. Luckily, no one was up there with him. He closed his curtains, casts muffliato, and puts the covers over his head.

He then lets it all out. He sobs so hard he could barely breathe and his head was burning. 

Why was he never normal? Why was he fantasizing about Blaise? Why did it get worse? Many questions fell through his head as pulled at his hair. He kept telling himself it would all go away tomorrow. Boy, was he wrong.


	34. Chapter 34

Neville's POV:

He sat beside Blaise, willing for his eyes to stay on the board. Every now and then he'd glance at Blaise, which only made his thoughts from yesterday replay in his brain. 

He instead stares at the book that was open on the table. The lesson was about Rowena Ravenclaw and Neville thought that, maybe if he'd listen it would be interesting. However, it's always hard to listen to Professor Binns's boring, monotone voice. That only made it harder to ignore Blaise. 

He should stop thinking about it! Blaise wouldn't give that gift let alone be that kind and understanding. Especially since he has noticed no one at all speaking about the things he wrote down, which means this guy actually is genuine. Even if it isn't Blaise, he really should stop thinking about the things that were filling his mind. He doesn't even like boys! He likes girls. He liked Hannah, right?

He then began to wonder how his father would feel if he happened to like boys. It ranged from supportive and loving to scary and mean. But he shouldn't think about that either. He shouldn't think about his father at all, it'll only make him upset and then he'll embarrass himself in front of everyone. 

He leans back and Blaise gives him a look. Not a particularly bad one, but it still made Neville feel insecure. He looks back at the desk then leans back as well and crosses his arms over his chest. 

He notices Blaise open his mouth, then close it back again. Then open his mouth once more, tilt towards Neville and whisper very softly, "Hey, uh... I never really thanked you for picking up my stuff yesterday."

"It's-" His face burned at the squeak he made. He clears his throat softly then whispers, "It's fine, I d-don't need a thanks."

"I'm giving one anyway. Thank you." He whispers with a smirk. 

Neville's face burned and he felt that funny feeling again. The more he looked at Blaise, the more he glanced at his lips. Then the dreadful, but rather appealing, thoughts replayed in his head. He wanted to kiss Blaise, but why?

His chest tightened and he felt a lump form in his throat. He can't do this, not today. He reaches into his pocket and quickly slips on the bracelet. Blaise takes notice to this, but says nothing at all. His muscles relax and he takes a silent deep breath. Everything is ok. 

"Are you alright?" Blaise whispers beside him.

Why does he care?! Neville nods in return then covers the left side of his cheek with his hand at an attempt to hide his blush from Blaise. 

"Uh... How have you been?" He whispers to Neville. Again, why does he care?!

"Fine." Neville snaps quietly. That seems to shut Blaise up. 

***

Draco's POV:

Draco knew what was coming soon. Harry was about to be seventeen, which means he had to kill Dumbledore fast, or the Dark Lord's plans would be ruined. If his plans are ruined, that means he'll either die or be tortured for the rest of his life. Or perhaps both.

Late that night he was told that Dumbledore was in the astronomy tower. This was his time. It's kill or be killed. 

He heard voices. From who, he didn't know. He made his way up the steps as saw Dumbledore standing there alone, looking at the sky. 

He drew his wand, holding it tight in his hand and pointing it at Dumbledore. All he had to do was say Avada Kedavra, then everything would be ok. 

His hand shook and he opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Dumbledore turned around and looked at Draco with the same calm expression he always had. 

"Draco, what are you doing?" He asks him.

"Who else is here? I heard you talking!" Draco shouts. 

"I speak to myself quite often, you should try it some time." Dumbledore says. Draco gives him a strange look. He's pointing a wand at him and all he does is speak to him like it's all normal. "Draco, you are no killer."

"Oh, now you seem to know everything about me?! You know nothing! Nothing!" He shouts.

"A cursed necklace and a tea laced with poison? Your efforts prove to me that... you simply don't have the heart to kill me. Draco, you have a good heart-"

"Shut up! You don't know a thing about me! What will get you to understand that, huh?! Trust me, I was chosen for this job!" He aggressive pulls up his sleeve, revealing the dark mark engraved into his skin. All the while, his hands shook with fear. He only hoped Dumbledore didn't notice. This was no time to be seen as a coward. 

"Alright... I will make it easier for you." He draws his wand, but Draco acts fast. 

"Expelliarmus!" He shouts, Dumbledore's wand flying from his hand. 

"Very good." Dumbledore compliments. Bangs could be heard from the bottom of the tower. "Oh... you aren't alone. How'd you get them in here?"

"The vanishing cabinet... In the room of requirement." Draco informs.

"Very smart of you Draco.... Now listen to me. I knew someone just like you. He was special, had a good heart. But he made all the wrong decisions. I know what you're going through. Please, let me help you." 

Draco rolls his eyes. "Give me a break!" He shouts again, his voice cracking from the volume. "I don't want your bloody help! I don't need it!" 

"I can help you! I can keep you safe. Don't think I don't know... I know more than you think."

"You don't get it, do you?! If I don't do this... I'll die." His voice cracks and a single tear falls down his face. "I'll-"

"Oh, hello." He jerks his head in the direction of the new voice that just entered. He blinks back the tears when he notices it's his Aunt Bellatrix. She smirks and stands behind him. "Well done, dear nephew." 

"Good evening, Bellatrix... What a delight to see you here." Dumbledore says calmly. His Aunt just giggles. 

"Go on, do it!" urges Greyback. 

He stands there, shaking like mad. Soft whimpers escape his mouth.

"Do it!" Aunt Bellatrix shouts at him. 

He couldn't. He just couldn't. 

"Stop," Comes a familiar voice. 

"Severus..." says Dumbledore, a single tear falling down his face. 

"Avada Kedavra." says Snape, no hesitation whatsoever. Draco almost gasps as he watches Dumbledore fall backwards, right off the side of the tower. 

His Aunt's squeaky, manic laughter fills the tower. She twirls around the room, running to the railing and hold up her wand. She sends flashes of green light in the sky. He looks up, seeing the dark mark form in the clouds. Nothing but darkness fills the world around him. 

Greyback grabs his arm and pulls him down the steps. Meanwhile he's trying his best not to freak out. Dumbledore just died... right in front of him. Professor Snape killed him! 

He is pulled away from the castle and the other death eaters join them. His Aunt apparates them back to the Manor where his parents and the Dark Lord sit there waiting for them. He gulps. 

"It is done, my lord." Aunt Bellatrix says with a smirk.

"Well done!" The Dark Lord says happily.

"How'd you do it, Draco?" His father says, a look of pride on his face. 

Draco drops his gaze to the floor and opens his mouth to speak, but Greyback speaks instead. 

"He didn't do it, Severus did it!" 

"Really now?" His father says, glaring at Draco in anger. He grabs his wand and points it right at Draco. His heart races. He's going to die.

"Lucius, lower your wand." The Dark Lord commands calmly. His father slowly lowers his weapon, but doesn't stop staring at Draco as if he was trying to strike him down with his eyes. "We all knew he'd never be able to do it... While I wouldn't mind you killing him otherwise, we need him. If anyone can beat Harry Potter, it is your son."


	35. Chapter 35

Blaise's POV:

He was in shock. Dumbledore was dead and Professor Snape did it. Well, now Headmaster Snape. It all disgusted him and the whole castle afterwards was dark and silent. 

The scariest part of it was: Draco was no where to be seen. They went home that year due to Luna's father wanting her home. 

Her father did object to him living there, but he heard his story and instead conjured up a new home for him beside them. It was much smaller, but it had everything he needed. To say he was thankful was an understatement. Neville was an angel, that's for sure. He could've ignored it all, but instead he got someone to help him out. It only hurt worse to know that they'd never ever have a civil conversation as long as Neville was convinced Blaise was a terrible person. Not that he was wrong, but there is one thing Blaise would never do and that's intentionally hurt Neville or his friends. 

He was terrified, though. Terrified that Draco was in trouble, terrified that Neville would die or be horribly injured, and most of all he was terrified of you-know-who taking over. If anyone knew where his loyalities lied as a pure-blood Slytherin, he would be dead within minutes of his reign. Then again, if Neville died, would it really matter if he did as well? 

A knock came at the door and he shouted, "Come in!"

The door opens to reveal Luna. "Good morning, Blaise. A letter came for you." She says, handing him a blank envelope. 

"Thank you." He says and she gives him a nod.

"Oh, by the way I apologize for my father's prejudice. He just hasn't met you yet. I'm sure if he did he'd love you." She smiles.

"No worries. He's just trying to keep you safe. I'd do the same." He smiles back. 

"I'm proud of you for doing the right things, Blaise. You're not as arrogant as I originally thought you might've been." She chuckles, "And you've protected my friend. Really, I thank you for flipping the script." 

"I'm not that great..." He says with a fake chuckle, "I should be thanking you actually. You helped me out." 

"It was all Neville's doing." Luna says.

"Yeah..." Blaise trails off and smiles to himself.

"You know, you should open that. It may be from Neville." She smirks, "By the way, we're making cookies later after breakfast. I'll bring you some. And no negotiation! You can't get out of these." 

"Fine." He smiles. "Thank you, really. Tell your father the same."

"I will. Well, I must go help my father with breakfast. Tell me all about that later." She says gesturing to the letter then walking out into the field of flowers and shutting the door behind her, leaving him alone with only the sound of the birds. 

He smiles and opens up the letter. He smiles wider at the familiar handwriting. 

"Hi, it's Neville again. It may not be the best time because of what's happening now but I needed to make sure you were safe and had a home to go to. I know we don't really know each other but you've been so kind I can't help but worry. Please write back soon, even if it's just telling me you're safe. That's all I need to know."

He decides to write in the free space below and glides his quill across the page.

"Hello, Neville. Yes, I am safe and I do have a home. Thank you so much. Really, thank you. I can't express enough how thankful I am. I'm living with Luna and it's really beautiful here. It almost makes me forget everything that's happening. I have warm food and a nice comfortable bed. It's everything I ever wanted. Now, I must ask if you are safe. I've actually been pretty worried about you. This letter really made me feel better about it, so I appreciate you writing. I really care about you, and maybe that makes you uncomfortable especially since you know I'm a boy but you really mean a lot to me. Your safety means everything and I really hope you're happy and comfortable where you are. But no, this letter isn't bad timing. I really needed to hear from you."

He walks over to his owl and puts it into her beak. She flaps his wings and flies off into the wind. He had gotten a new owl since he wasn't able to bring his other owl with him, but he didn't mind. His old one would just remind him of his old home and he'd rather not remember that. 

Soon enough his owl comes with a new envelope in her mouth and drops it on the desk. He was also thankful that this owl wasn't as greedy as his last one. She never pecked him continuously for food, but maybe that's because he was able to give this owl actual food. 

He opened up the envelope and read:

"That's so wonderful that you are safe and happy! That makes me happy! For me, yes I am safe. I'm at home with my grandmother. I still think about my father sometimes which upsets me, but I can always pull through. Your bracelet also has helped keep me calm through these times, especially after Dumbledore's death and being afraid of not only my life but my friends and families lives. But it's really kept me from going crazy. Thank you for that by the way. And the blanket has kept me warm! I also forgot to compliment you on those cookies. And don't worry about that, I don't mind you being a boy. Actually, I've been trying to figure things out about myself recently and it makes me feel pretty weird and disgusting. Anyways, enough about me. How is your friend? What does it look like there? How do you feel?" 

He furrows his brows in curiousity and grabs a fresh piece of parchment and writes.

"That's wonderful that you're safe as well! Merlin, I was dreadfully worried about you. I noticed how torn up you were about Dumbledore's death. I am so sorry about that. I wished I could've hugged you and told you it would all be ok. It hurt so much to see you that way, but I'm sure you were hurting more than me. But you're strong, I know you can pull through, with or without that bracelet. But I'm so happy that my gift has made your days better. You should give thanks to Harry and Luna, though. They were the ones to help me figure out what to get you since I wasn't in your house and well, we don't speak really at all. Also, thank that Hufflepuff named Hunter as well, he was very patient with my efforts at making those cookies. I ruined it maybe twice and he still was composed, even after I nearly threw a fit about burning the cookies. Now, to answer how I feel... I'll tell you that at the moment I feel amazing. I mean, I'm talking to you and you're safe and I'm actually getting good meals and I've been sleeping a bit better. I feel phenomenal! As for what it looks like here, it's so beautiful you wouldn't believe it. Right outside my door is a field of flowers with every color imaginable and there is life everywhere you look. The birds are singing and the sun is bright. It's amazing. It really lifts your spirits. I never would've imagined being in a place like this. Luna says it isn't much, but I think it's the most luxurious place I could've ever been put in. It beats my once dark home covered in dust and spiderwebs. There never seemed to be sunlight there. As for my friend... that's an issue. I don't know where he is. After Dumbledore's death I haven't seen him at all nor have I heard from him. It worries me a lot, but I try to not dwell on it too much simply to keep myself sane. But I keep telling myself that he's alright, even though deep down I know something has to be wrong. I just hope he's safe and alive. But at least I know one person I care for is alright. Also, what do you mean by figuring yourself out and why does it make you feel like that? I apologize, I'm not a ravenclaw."

He sends off the letter once more and soon gets one back. 

"It's alright. Actually, I was wondering why you seem to care for me so much? I know you have feelings for me, but I honestly expected you to focus on yourself more. But I really appreciate you caring about me, don't get me wrong. Not many people show that and it really makes me feel loved. Not saying that you love me or anything, but that it makes me feel like I have someone that loves me. Sorry if that's awkward. I really am not trying to make things weird between us. Anyways, I'll shut up about that now. But I'm sure your friend is just busy. Maybe he has to keep his family safe or he's focusing on himself. At least I hope so. If not, I'm sure he will be safe soon. As for the place... woah! That sounds gorgeous! In that case, I'm really glad I went to Luna to help you! You seem happy there. Also, this may be weird to say because you know... we don't know each other and you apparently have feelings for me. But maybe you can help? I'm scared that I may like boys. I may just be thinking weird or something, but it's not like I'm under a love potion. I got tested for it twice. Once with my ex-girlfriend, another time with my grandmother. I didn't tell her why I wanted a test and I'm happy she didn't ask. But it's even scarier that I never thought this way about Hannah but now I feel all these strange feelings I've never felt before and it's freaking me out. I really don't want to be this way. No offense to people that like their same gender but I just don't like these feelings. I've never felt any of them before, not once! Not about anyone until now and it's freaking me out. I'm really sorry if this is weird to talk about with you. Just drop it if you don't feel comfortable with it, ok? I'll understand fully."

He smiled wide. He was tempted to stand up and jump all around the room, but decided against it. He may be thinking about someone that isn't him at all. Just because Neville seems to have taken a liking towards boys doesn't mean anything. The thought makes his smile drop from his face, but he needed to bring himself back down to earth before he got his hopes too high. 

He debates with himself for a long time on whether or not to tell Neville that he does indeed love him, very much. After almost an hour of not wanting to respond, he writes:

"Neville, I must tell you something."

His hand shakes and he almost crumples up the whole paper. Instead he continues.

"I love you."

No, no, no! He tears the paper in half and buries his head in his hands. He's a coward, isn't he? But maybe it's for the best. Neville might have his eye on someone else and telling him he loves him will ruin that. He instead gets a fresh piece of parchment and shames himself for wasting the other one. He writes once more. 

"I will answer that question another time. For now, I want to know more about these feelings. But first off I want to tell you that you didn't make things awkward and second, you shouldn't feel ashamed of liking boys. It's completely normal. My friend likes boys as well! I actually think I like both boys and girls. Either way, it's completely normal and you shouldn't be disgusted. It won't make things awkward to talk about this stuff with me at all. I mean, I really wished I had someone to vent to when I was thinking the same things. It's hard to do it alone, so I'm here to help you. Vent away, dear Neville." 

He smiles to himself and sends the letter off. A response comes a lot later than he thought it would. He even was able to have an awkward breakfast with Luna and her father before it came back. He opened it and it said:

"I should be disgusted! I keep having these thoughts about this one boy, but I shouldn't! He's basically off limits completely and it wouldn't work out anyways. We're most definitely complete opposites. Besides, I'm just some clumsy dork that got sorted into Gryffindor by some freak mistake. He'd never like me back. He wouldn't like Gryffindors at all! He might be able to trick you into thinking you could be his friend, but then he'd turn on you. But the worst part is, I can't get these thoughts out! I shouldn't like him at all. I should despise him! But every time I try to forget about him, these thoughts just get worse and worse. A part of me loves it, then another part hates myself for it. I mean, just imagine if he did like me back, what would the Gryffindors say?! They already think of me as a dork, but then they'd see me as a traitor. I can't do that. Now I guess you would know what house they are in. You might be dissapointed in me. I'm sorry for that. But I understand, I'm dissapointed in myself. It makes me feel like I'm betraying my entire house! Maybe even all of Hogwarts. I mean, he could be a supporter or you-know-who. Sorry for being such a downer and I'm sorry if I ruined every chance at friendship with you for saying this. But it does feel nice to get it off my chest."

He sits dumbfounded. Is he implying that the guy he's thinking about is a Slytherin?! His heart races, but he reminds himself not to get his hopes up. He writes back quickly, his handwriting more messy than before.

"Hey, it's alright! Don't be ashamed."

He stops, debating once more on whether or not to tell him his house. That would be too risky, right? But maybe it would show him that not all Slytherins are the same? No, he'd just hate him. But... he likes a Slytherin! No, no Blaise you can't. 

"It's your feelings and it's nothing to be ashamed of. If you have feelings for a Slytherin, then great! Even if you can never ever be with them, these feelings can teach you something. Perhaps this person can teach you something. Every feeling and person you care for is there for a reason. A friend told me that, a very dear friend."

He smiles and holds back tears as he continues to write.

"Besides, no one needs to know except you. You don't owe anyone anything, let alone the Gryffindors. The only person that needs to know about this is you and the only person that has the right to tell you what to do is yourself. Just be yourself and let yourself feel these emotions, even if you're afraid nothing will ever happen. There is nothing wrong with how you feel and you should allow yourself to feel for once. I notice this a lot in you, Neville. You always invalidate your feelings, judge yourself, and hold back your feelings and emotions. You also tend to keep your mouth shut a lot. You need to stop that. You deserve respect, especially from yourself. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. Even though you don't believe it, you are a Gryffindor! You were put there for a reason. Don't let fear shut you up. Don't let anything shut you up. I want you to start telling things like it is and allowing yourself to feel. You deserve it. Now, I wanna do something. It's a simple yes or no. I'm gonna make a few guesses to who this person is, because I do have a few guesses. This one might be completely stupid but, Gregory Goyle? Just a guess though. Next guess, Draco Malfoy? Again, probably stupid but who knows. He isn't ugly so I'd understand. The very last guess is,"

He scolds himself for what he's about to do next, but does it anyways.

"Blaise Zabini? By the way, if all my guesses are wrong, then that will be the end of it. I don't get to guess anymore. That's the end of it." 

He takes a deep breath, willing himself not to destroy the whole letter. He sends it off and waits. An hour passes, then another hour, then another. He began to worry that he really messed up, until a letter drops right into his lap.

"Thank you for that. I really appreciate everything you do for me. I'll try my best to be better to myself. I'll talk to you later, yeah? Be safe, please. Eat good food and stay warm.   
P.S. I choose to not answer to those guesses. I apologize, but I don't wish to say anything about it. Talk to you later!" 

He sighs and places the letter onto his desk. He should've known it was stupid to try and guess. Great job, Blaise! You idiot! He plops onto the bed, just to be asked a few minutes later to lunch with Luna and her father.


	36. Chapter 36

Draco's POV:

The Dark Lord was furious that they couldn't find Harry Potter. To occupy his time, he instead found various muggles and muggle-borns to torture and kill. Many times he had done it right in front of his eyes. They all stuck to his brain like glue and he could no longer sleep, not even in his closet. 

Now he was supposed to fight Harry, win, and bring him to the Dark Lord?! No matter how angry he is at Harry, no matter how much he hates him, he just can't do that! He just can't.

They had taken Luna Lovegood not too long ago along with many others. They assumed that if they kept his friends prisoner, he'd have no other choice but to show up right here. Then they'd call the Dark Lord and Harry Potter would die. 

"Draco!" His Aunt said from the next room. 

He rushes into the room, noticing Bellatrix holding her wand up to Hermione Granger's throat and Greyback doing the same with Ron Weasley. He looked over, seeing a boy with a puffy, swollen face being held in place by Peter Pettigrew. 

"Go up to him and tell us if that is Harry Potter." His Aunt demands and he obeys. He slowly makes his way to the boy, kneeling down in front of him. 

He looks into his eyes. He knows those eyes. Those are the same eyes he looked into before he kissed him, the same eyes that belonged to a person he fought with for years. 

"Well?!" His Aunt asks.

"What's wrong with his face?" He whispers.

"You're right. What is wrong with his face?" His Aunt jokes.

All Draco can do is fight the urge to hex everyone in the room and run off with Harry. To tell him he'll protect him and everything will be ok. Instead, he does the next best thing.

"It's not him." He says. 

"Very well. Take them to the dungeon." His Aunt demands, still holding onto Hermione. Peter Pettigrew grabs both Ron and Harry, taking them down the steps and to the dungeon. 

Greyback goes over to Bellatrix, waiting to get Hermione. 

"No, this one is mine." His Aunt smirks. 

He knows he doesn't want to see this, but his legs won't move. 

She drops Hermione to the floor. She grunts in pain and attempts to get back up. 

"Crucio!" Bellatrix shouts. Hermione falls back the floor and screams in pain. "Crucio!" She shouts again with a giggle. 

He stands there, his legs shaking but failing to make a move. He was frozen. The screams filled his ears and made him want to crawl into himself. He watched as his Aunt reached down and hold the knife up to Hermione's skin. 

He covered his eyes, a single tear falling down his face. He could still hear the screams, but he wished he would go deaf. Suddenly, the screams stop. 

He peaks at the scene before him. He sees his Aunt whispering to a Goblin. 

"Who took it?!" She shouts. 

His eyes at met with Hermione's. She's crying and a single word is carved into her skin, seeping out red: 'Mudblood'. His breath hitches. 

"Now, back to this one," His Aunt smirks, holding his wand out to Hermione. 

"Expelliarmus!" A voice shouts. He looks up to see Ron Weasley, holding up a wand. 

He watches as his father grabs his wand as well, ready to attack. 

"Stupify!" Harry shouts, sending his father flying backwards.

His mother rushes over with her wand and Draco followers her. His mother duels Ron while he takes on Harry. His eyes are wide and he can barely breathe and every spell he throws is blocked. 

"Stop!" He hears his Aunt shout. He keeps his eyes on Harry and Harry glares at him. "Drop your wands. Drop them!" She shouts at them.

They both drop their wands with a clang to the floor. 

"Come on, Draco. Get them, now." His Aunt demands. He grabs them without a second thought, doing his best not to look at Harry. His Aunt giggles. He watches as Harry's swollen eye returns to normal. "Well, well... Look what we have here. Harry Potter all shiny and new. Just in time for the Dark Lord... Call him." She demands. Draco glances around, not wanting to be the one to do it. "Call him!" She shouts. 

His father glances at Draco with anger. He steps into view, pulling up his sleeve and pointing his wand at the mark. 

Just before he can call him, a squeaking noise comes from the ceiling. He looks up along with everyone else and notices an elf, a very familiar elf. Dobby stood right on the chandelier. Before anyone could act, the chandelier crashes to the ground. Draco jumps away, bumping into a chair and hurting his already injured shoulder. 

Harry rushes to him and attempts to get the wands from him. He holds onto them tight, but then Harry touches his hand and he loses focus. Harry runs away with the wands in hand. He sits there in shock and fear. He really was weak. 

"Stupid elf! I could've died!" His Aunt shouts.

"Dobby never means to kill, Dobby simply means to make one seriously injured." 

His mother draws her wand, only to have it fall out of her hands and into Dobby's. 

"You dare to take a witch's wand?! You dare to defy your masters?!" Bellatrix shouts.

"Dobby has no master, Dobby is a free elf! And Dobby has come here to save Harry Potter and his friends and that is what Dobby will do!" Dobby shouts. He grabs onto Harry, Ron, and Hermione and they begin to vanish away. 

Just then, his Aunt throws her knife right at them, only to have it clang to the floor and their enemies dissappear. 

***

Harry's POV:

Luna begged him to apparate to her home after they'd buried Dobby. So, that's what they did. They showed up in her garden and he noticed the tiny house that was beside their own was now gone. 

"Oh no," Luna says and runs into her home. They all follow after her. 

"Luna!" Her father says with a bright smile. "I'm so happy you're safe. Never ever go around that boy again."

"What do you mean, father?" She asks him. 

"This was all that Slytherin's fault. You should've never brought him here." He says.

"You brought a Slytherin here?!" Ron shouts. 

"Yes, but it's not his doing! None of this is his doing. He's just a good person who needed a home. He fought them, you know." Luna says and her father rolls his eyes. 

"Who are we talking about here?" Harry asks.

"Blaise." Luna informs. 

"Zabini?! Luna, how mad are you?!" Ron asks her. 

"Not that mad! I'm telling you, he's good! Where did he go, father?" Luna asks. 

"I wouldn't know anything about that. He can't be in his little home you made me build, I destroyed it after he left." 

Luna sighs, "You shouldn't have kicked him out."

"Yes I should've! I'm almost certain he is the one who brought those death eaters here." Her father says. 

"Wait, why was he living here?" Hermione asks. 

"He didn't have a home! He was kicked out by his mother. He would've starved without help." Luna says. 

"Or he just said that to get into our home." Her father muttered. 

"Father! I'm telling you, he'd never! Bargyles swarmed him and he's been helping a Gryffindor!" Luna says. 

"I still don't believe he had good intentions." Her father says and Luna gives out a sigh. 

"Nevertheless, we need to find him and quick." Luna says. 

"Really? If anything he's probably over at Malfoy's kissing his arse." Ron says. 

"Ronald!" Hermione scolds. "I think we should listen to Luna. If he is bad, we will be prepared to fight." 

Luna looks at her and smiles, "Good. If I know anything, he will be looking for Neville."

"What?! Why?" Ron asks and his eyes widen, "What if he's planning to kill Neville?"

"Trust me, he wouldn't even think about that." Luna assures, but Ron simply looks at her like he's crazy. Harry can only hope she's correct. Even if Blaise had proved his intentions before, he knows Slytherins can easily manipulate. I mean, look at Draco. He played him like he was a game of Wizard's Chess. 

"Alright, then let's go." Harry says. 

Ron looks at him like he's gone mad. "Are you serious?!" 

"We'll be prepared. Let's go." Harry says, rushing out the door and waiting for his friends to join. 

Luna is the last to exit the door. "I say let's go to Neville's house first. I don't think Blaise knows where it is, but we can check." Luna suggests. 

Harry nods and grabs onto his friends, noticing that Ron is hesitant. They all apparate into a living room. On the couch sits Augusta Longbottom. 

"Miss Longbottom!" Luna says.

"Luna! I haven't seen you in a while, dear. What are you doing here?" She asks, laying her book down. 

"We need to know where Neville is and if a boy named Blaise has been here." Luna says.

Augusta frowns, "Neville has left. He insisted on going to Hogwarts to... apparently protect his peers. You need to convince him to come back. I'm scared for him." 

Harry sighs, "We will try everything we can."

"Thank you. Keep him safe please. And no, no Blaise. If he happens to show up I'll tell you." Augusta says. 

"Thank you so much. You've been a big help." Luna says with a smile. 

They apparate away and right in front of the Hog's Head. 

"If he's gone to Hogwarts, he had to have gone through here." Harry says. They all give him a took of curiousity, but he didn't care. He simply led the way to the secret entrance to Hogwarts.


	37. Chapter 37

Neville's POV:

He hid his friends well and they were kept safe for a long time until Harry showed up. He led him into the room of requirement and Fred, George, and Neville himself all greeted him happily. 

"Blimey, it's been crazy out there. Some seventh years can't even come to Hogwarts because they're muggle-borns!" Dean informs.

"That's ridiculous." Ron says. 

"No kidding. But Neville was able to sneak some of us in." Fred says. Neville stares down at the floor. 

"Well done, Neville!" Harry praises, patting his back. 

"How'd you find the secret entrance?" Hermione asks. 

"George told me." Neville says. 

"But... how'd you all get them here?" Hermione asks again. 

"I uh... it wasn't too difficult." Neville chuckles nervously. 

"Neville... I must ask," Luna says, stepping towards him, "Has Blaise Zabini been here?"

"Huh? No... why would he?" Neville asks, his heart beating quickly at the mention of Blaise. He wonders if they know anything about his weird affections towards him, but realizes that would be ridiculous to think they'd know anything. 

"I'll tell you later." Luna says, which only worries him more. 

"Well, we need to get out there. We need to go confront Snape! He can't just take over Hogwarts!" Hermione says.

"No! You've been sighted in Hogsmeade, you can't." Neville says. 

"Yes he can." A voice says behind them. He turns around and smiles. Many people from the Order of the Phoenix including Professor Lupin, Mister Weasley, Misses Wealsey, and many others. "We've got his back." says Tonks with a smile. 

Lupin handed Harry a uniform to disguise him and they rush out the door but hide at the sight of marching students. Harry boldly runs forward, blending in with the other students and impressively not managing to get caught. They march into the Great Hall and once they're all inside, Neville and the others rush to the entrance, standing right outside and waiting for the right time. 

The place is silent other than the soft noises heard from Snape inside. 

Lupin gestures for them to go in at the sound of Harry's voice. 

"You seem to have a security problem, Headmaster... How dare you stand where he stood?!" Harry shouts at him. "Tell them what you did! How you looked him in the eyes and killed him!" 

Snape pulls out his wand and gasps are heard all around the Hall. Professor McGongall steps forward, holding out her wand as well. Neville and the Order all raise their wands in defense.

McGonagall throws the first spell and Snape just blocks it. The more she throws at him, the farther he moves back. Neville watches Snape jump out the window and vanish.

"Coward!" Professor McGonagall shouts after him. 

The Hall erupts in cheers at the sight. He doesn't know whether to smile or feel scared. 

"We prepare to fight!" McGonagall shouts. Neville hears the door open behind him and looks back. "Any students who are under seventeen or are not willing to fight... leave now." She says seriously. 

As soon as she finishes, the person who opened the door appears in sight. He gasps and notices Ron and Ginny draw their wands.

"Mister Zabini?" McGonagall asks, her voice echoing off the walls now that the students are silent. 

"I've come to fight! Not against you... with you." He announces. 

"You've got to be kidding me." Ron mutters. 

The Slytherins around the Hall gasp and mutter amongst themselves. 

"Welcome, Blaise." Luna says, giving him a side-hug. 

Neville looks at him suspiciously. Is this why Luna was asking for him? Did she somehow persuade him to join the good side or is he just here to trick them? 

"Very well. The rest of you who refuse to fight or are too young, you may exit. Professor Slughorn will guide you." Professor McGonagall announces. Many children as well as the whole Slytherin house begin to file out. 

He notices Goyle give Blaise a glare and whisper something to him before crashing into his shoulder and walking away. Blaise makes no effort to react but instead looks at Neville with a warm smile. 

Neville turns around awkwardly and stares at the front. 

"Well, let's go then. I suspect his followers will be here soon." McGonagall says, strutting out the door and into the silent hallways.


	38. Chapter 38

Blaise's POV:

They were fighting, every single one of them. All Blaise could hear was screaming, banging, and crashing. He couldn't find Neville. He tried to stay close to him and make sure he could save him if he needed to. He had him close by, but now he was gone. He ran through the halls, fighting off any caster who came in his way. He was able to knock some of them out pretty quickly, but others he had to take his time to duel. 

Finally, he got away from them. He got up to the fourth floor, which was completely empty. He looked to his left and saw Neville holding his foot in pain. He also noticed his head was bleeding. 

He runs up to him. "Neville, are you alright?" He asks.

"I'm fine." He grunts, "I need to get back out there." He says, trying to stand up. Blaise tries to grab his hand but Neville pulls away. "Why are you trying to help me? Why are you here?" Neville asks. 

"Because..." Blaise sighs, "Because I want to. It's my responsibility to be on the good side. I can't let my school down." 

"Really now? Then why were you friends with Draco?" Neville asks angrily. 

"What-"

"Don't even act like you don't know. Draco helped get Dumbledore killed! He's a bloody death eater! You seriously think I'm gonna trust you?!" Neville shouts. Blaise stands dumbfounded. He has never once heard Neville shout. 

"People like you are the reason my parents will never be the same again! I know who you support, so stop acting like you're on our side! Because of people like you I will never have a normal life! I will never know who my parents truly are!" Neville's voice cracks, "I will avenge them if it's the last thing I do and no one will stand in my way, not even you." 

Blaise steps towards him, opening his mouth to speak but Neville steps away, "Get the hell away from me." He demands, wand pointed right at Blaise.

Blaise gasps and clutches his wand, but doesn't move at all. 

Suddenly, the room goes cold and dark. He suddenly feels empty and devoid of all happiness. Something is wrong. 

He notices Neville's eyes grow wide at something behind him. He turns around and notices a dementor coming right for them.

Happy memory, Blaise. Happy memory. 

Suddenly, Neville's face pops into his head. A bright smile etched onto his face. Him holding Neville and watching him blush in front of Blaise. Them going to Honeydukes together and seeing Neville's face light up at the sight of it.

"Expecto patronum!" They both shout at the same time. 

Two bright blue lights rush out of their wands and mold into two roaring lions running after the dementor who was now escaping down the hall. The lions swim over each other as they chase the dementor away from them. 

They both stand in shock. Blaise slowly looks at Neville, knowing he can't possibly hide his secret now. Neville looks at him with wide eyes and red cheeks and begins to back away from him. 

"Neville, don't go! Look, I'm sorry. I can't help it. I don't... I don't mean to be weird. I just... This isn't even the time, is it?" Blaise says. 

Neville furrows his brows at him. They suddenly hear a scream and both rush to the noise. 

***

Draco's POV:

Crabbe and Goyle convinced him to run after Harry. They both had decided not to fight but came back to help him duel Harry and get his wand back. Not like it would help him feel safer or more confident about it at all. He felt like a monster. But what was the point? He didn't have much to live for anyways. 

They make their way through the room and come face to face with Harry. They all draw their wands and hold it up to him. They honestly expected the Weasel and Mudblood.

"Well, what brings you here, Potter?" Draco asks.

"I could ask you the same..." Harry responds.

"You took something from me... I want it back." 

"What's wrong with the one in your hand?" Harry asks him. 

"It doesn't quite work with me... It's my mother's. It doesn't really... understand me." He gives a sarcastic grin. 

Harry simply looks at him before opening his mouth and asking, "Why didn't you tell them? You knew it was me, yet you said nothing. Why?" 

Draco's heartbeat quickens. He didn't expect that. He didn't even think Harry knew that he knew. 

"Don't be a prat, Draco. Kill him." Goyle whispers beside him. 

All he does is stand there, his legs feeling suddenly weak. 

"Expelliarmus!" A girl shouts. 

"Avada Kedavra!" He hears Crabbe shout back. He runs away, only to notice Ron running after them. 

"You tried to kill my girlfriend, you loony!" He shouts, running after them. 

A crash is heard and all Draco sees is flames. Good Merlin! Whoever did that, it certainly had Ron running away from them. It didn't make things better, though. 

The flames morph into a dragon-like figure and roar at him and Crabbe. Goyle continues to throw flames from his wand with little care. Crabbe and Draco try to get away from the flames and climb up various objects to get away. The flames only get higher. 

He looks over, noticing Goyle grabbing a chair, only to fall right into the flames. His heart stops, but he has no time to waste. He continues to climb along with Crabbe. He slips, but quickly grabs back onto a metal bar.

He struggles to get back up and sees Harry, Hermione, and Ron right above them, flying on brooms. Harry reaches his hand out and Draco tries to grab it, only to miss it. He flies away and worries that they won't come back. But no, they come back. He reaches his hand out again and this time, he catches Harry's hand and is pulled onto the broom. He looks back to see Crabbe with Ron.

His heart beats fast and all he can hear is the roaring of the fire. He suddenly crashes onto the ground. The sweet, sweet ground. He stumbles to his feet and runs away as quickly as he can. His feet burn with pain, but he pushes on. Crabbe follows closely behind him before falling to his knees. 

"Goyle... He's..." He breathes out. Draco stares at the ground. He always thought of Goyle as an insufferable, idiotic git but now that he was gone... He just couldn't believe it. 

"Get up, Crabbe. Let's go." Draco says, grabbing Crabbe's hand and helping him up. "I have to find Blaise."

"The traitor? Really?!" Crabbe exclaims.

"Traitor?" Draco asks.

"Oh, you don't know? That prat stepped into the Great Hall and said he was there to help them fight. For who? Mudbloods?!" Crabbe shouts. "We lose Goyle and now Blaise has gone mad?!" 

Secretly, he feels happy for Blaise. Even though he knows Blaise will probably never talk to him again after this, or at least after he finds out he's a death eater. The one friend he truly had would leave him. But, to be perfectly honest, he expected it. If he loved someone like Blaise loved Neville, he'd also choose them over anyone and everyone else without hesitation. He didn't blame him, but he couldn't help but feel a bit heartbroken. But, again, did any of this really become a surprise to him? 

He decides to not go after Blaise, but instead to go find a place to rest and hide upon Crabbe's wishes.


	39. Chapter 39

Blaise's POV:

They all stood outside, a crying Hagrid holding a limp Harry in his arms. It can't be what he thinks. 

Voldemort, he finally agrees to call him, was staring at them all amongst his followers. He stood with Luna and held her hand which was softly shaking. 

"Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort shouts. His followers cheer and laugh, and so does he.

Blaise's breath catches in his throat. No, this can't be true. Luna squeezes his hand and he squeezes it back. 

"From this day forward... your faith will be had in me." Voldemort says with a smirk, his pointy fingernail gesturing towards himself. "Step forward... come join me. Or die." He threatens, awaiting those to step forward.

"Draco... come." Draco's father urges. He looks back and notices Draco standing amongst the crowd. He almost missed him. He watches as Draco's eyes dart around the crowd. Blaise saw a hint of something on his face, perhaps sadness? Dissappointment? Regardless, he didn't care. Draco betrayed him and all of Hogwarts. "Come!" His father urges again and Draco quickly moves from his spot and towards the crowd.

"Well done, Draco!" Voldemort says with a smile. Draco goes over to his parents and stands there, staring at the ground.

No one else moves, at least not for a few seconds. Until he watches Neville limp forward and Blaise rushes toward him, only to be pulled back by Luna. He shakes his head in disbelief. Not Neville, please no. 

Voldemort and his followers have a laugh. "I honestly expected better... but we'll take it." He says. 

He glares at them and clenches his hand into a fist. 

"Say... what is your name, dear boy?" Voldemort asks. 

"Neville Longbottom." Neville says, earning laughs from Voldemort and his cult. If it weren't for Luna, Blaise would be storming towards them and hitting every single one of them with a hex right about now. 

"Well, Neville, I'm sure we can find a place for you here." Voldemort says.

"I'd like to say something!" Neville announces.

"Well, I'm sure we'd all love to hear what you have to say." Voldemort replies. 

"It doesn't matter that Harry's gone-" 

"Stand down, Neville!" Seamus says.

"People die every day!" Neville shouts, "Friends... family... And yeah... We lost Harry tonight. He may not be here, but he's still with us... in here," Neville says pointing at his chest. "Just like Fred, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore... But you know what... They didn't die in vain!" He turns to Voldemort, "But you will, because you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us, for all of us! It's not over!" He shouts, reaching into the Sorting Hat and pulling out a sword. At the same time Harry drops from Hagrid's arms and onto the ground. 

"Potter!" Draco shouts, throwing a wand Harry's way. He grabs it with one hand and throws a spell at Voldemort's snake, but Voldemort blocks it for him. 

They stood there and watched as Voldemort threw spells left and right at Harry, only to have them be missed. Slowly, the cowardly death eaters began to file out. 

They all make their way into the castle and Harry goes to them. 

"Get everyone inside! We have to kill the snake!" Harry says to them. 

Neville holds up the sword, ready to strike, only to be thrown backwards by a spell Voldemort threw at him. 

"Neville!" Blaise shouts, running to him. 

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Neville says, breathing heavily. 

"I'll help you up. Take my hand." Blaise says. Neville complies and grabs onto Blaise's hand and he pulls him up to his feet. "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe."

"No! We have to kill the snake." says Neville.

"Nev, I really-"

"There!" He shouts, grabbing the sword and running as quickly as he can towards the staircase where he watches Hermione and Ron running away from the snake. Ron throws a spell, but it's no use. Blaise runs towards Neville, only to be stopped dead in his tracks. 

Neville, with one quick elegant swipe, slices the snake to dust. Blaise stares in awe. The dust erupts in dark smoke. 

Neville drops the sword on the ground and drops his arms to his side. He softly laughs and stares up at the blue sky. He clenches his fist and holds it up high in the air. 

Hermione, with tears streaming down her eyes rushes to Neville and hugs him tight, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Merlin, thank you!" She sobs. 

He looks over at Blaise and smiles victoriously. Blaise, for the first time this week, allows his lips to curl up into a smile. 

Ron looks at Blaise as well and walks towards him. 

"Hey... uh, I heard you protected by sister back there." Ron says with a smile. "Thank you."

"I was simply doing what's right... No need to thank me." Blaise says. 

"But... I must ask... Why did you join us? Weren't you Malfoy's friend?" Ron asks.

Blaise stares at his shoes and rubs the back of his neck. "Oh uh,"

"Ah! It's for Luna. I get it." Ron chuckles. 

"No! Absolutely not." Blaise says. 

"Well, then who?" Ron asks. 

"Can't I just do it to be a good person?!" Blaise responds. 

They all notice Harry walking towards them. "Harry, mate! Are you alright?" Ron asks.

"Yeah, yeah. Voldemort is dead." Harry says. Ron smiles and so does everyone else around, except Harry. 

"Harry, you'll never guess who killed the last Horcrux." Ron says and Harry simply gives him a look of confusion. 

Neville is staring at the ground and twirling a piece of hair on his finger. 

"Neville did it!" Ron exclaims. 

Harry gives a small smile. "Thank you, Neville." He says.

Neville gives a crooked smile and looks back over to Blaise. Blaise looks back and gives him a smirk. 

"Good job, Neville." Blaise says to him. 

Neville stares back at the ground, "Th-thank you." He mutters. 

"You should probably get your wounds checked out, Neville." Hermione says. 

"Yeah... probably." Neville replies. He turns on his heels, grabs the sword and limps into the castle. Blaise looks at the trio awkwardly before slowly following Neville. 

He goes into the Great Hall and watches Neville sit on the steps. Blaise sits beside him and they sit in silence for a while. 

"So... we... we have the same p-patronus." Neville says. "Wha-what does that mean?"

Blaise gives him a sideways glance. "I'm sorry if this makes things weird..." 

"What do you mean?" Neville asks, "I'm the one who made it weird. I didn't mean for us to have the same patronus... I just... I don't know. I didn't think I felt anything that serious." 

Blaise jerks his head in Neville's direction, "Huh?"

"I'll just..." Neville gestures to the outside of the Great Hall and stands up. 

"Neville, sit down!" Blaise demands. Neville obeys almost instantly and stares at the floor. He has that same look he had when Snape would shout at him. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to sound so aggressive. Look, I need to tell you many, many things. But first, I need to know what you meant."

"Uh... by my feelings? Well... I don't wanna say. It's weird and you'll think I'm some creep." Neville says.

"Never." Blaise says, grabbing his arm and giving him a warm smile. 

Neville stares down at the hand on his arm and sighs, "I... Well, let me start at the beginning. There was this guy who sent me a Christmas gift, right? And it was really nice and he sent me all these great things. But, I didn't know who he was. We had great talks through letters, but I still had no idea, even with hints! Then he had a problem and I told Luna to go help and she was headed towards either the basement or dungeon. So, I kept thinking, well if it isn't a Hufflepuff then it has to be a Slytherin. But the only Slytherin with a Z in his name was you. But then, all these weird thoughts came to mind about me and you and I kind of wanted it to be you in some weird way. Gosh, I should shut up now." Neville blurts out. 

Blaise stares down at Neville's arm as well, but not out of anxiety but rather debating whether or not he should hold his hand. But, why was it such a big deal? He held onto Luna's hand and it was no big deal. Why does this have to be a big deal?! 

Was the boy he was talking about in the letters him?

"Neville, I-"

"Come on, Mister Longbottom, let's get you checked out." Madame Pomfrey says, helping Neville to his feet and moving him over to a hospital bed.


	40. Chapter 40

Blaise's POV:

Luna told him that Neville would be there in the Courtyard, and he was! He sat there alone, the pages of his book flopping in the breeze and his chin resting in his hand. 

The sun beat down on him, highlighting his dark locks and the light blue of his sweater. He looked beautiful. Blaise drinks in the sight for a few seconds, admiring the boy on the grass before moving from his spot and standing in front of him. 

"Hi." He says softly. 

"Oh... Hello." Neville replies. He looks down at Neville's wrist and smiles. The bracelet he gifted him shining in the sunlight. 

"I want to talk to you... about, well... many things." Blaise says. 

Neville lays his book down beside him and stands to his feet. "Ok, what is it?" 

"I uhm... I need to confess something." Blaise gulps. 

Neville furrows his brows at him, "Well, go on then." 

"You know that boy who sent you the gift?" He asks and Neville nods. "I... Uh, I'm the person who send it to you." 

Neville stares at him and opens his mouth to say something, but is silent. "I'll prove it to you if you want." Blaise says, "I know your father is no longer around, your grandmother doesn't like to hug people... I uh... I don't know how else to prove it to you..." Blaise says. 

"Wait, I have a quill and paper." Neville says, reaching into his pocket and pulling it out. "Maybe this is stupid but I want you to write something for me. Anything." Neville says, handing him the materials. 

"Alright." Blaise grabs the book Neville laid down, presses the parchment onto the book and writes: 'Don't be afraid to speak your mind, brave one.' 

Neville grabs it from him when he finishes and smiles, "It is you..." He whispers. But that smile slowly fades. "Wait... since when? How long did you like me?"

"Since late in fourth year... I never once thought about liking a guy, not even a Gryffindor before... But then I started to observe you. I will admit though, I observed you for selfish reasons... But then the more I looked at you... Well, you know how it goes." He chuckles nervously. 

"But... Why? Why would you like me? I'm not much to look at at all and I'm boring for sure. Why in the world would you like me?" Neville asks. 

Blaise shakes his head at him, "Are you kidding me right now? You really don't see it, do you? If you were me you'd understand. There are these small things about you that... maybe you hate, but they drew me to you. The way you stumble over your feet all the time." He chuckles, "It's adorable. The way you smile... Merlin, I can't describe it. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen... That look you get when you're working in Herbology... Your face just lights up. How you stutter when you talk and fumble around when you're nervous." Neville stares down at his shoes, his cheeks burning red, "And your cute little blush, how could I forget that?"

Blaise takes his pointer finger and places it under Neville's chin, lifting up his head softly. Neville stares up at him, eyes filled with a look of innocence. 

Blaise slowly leans in, only to have the space closed instantly by Neville. 

He kissed rough, a bit sloppy even, but it was the most he's ever felt in a kiss. The girls he had before tried too hard and it was only fueled by lust. Not this, nothing was like this. They pull away and Blaise smiles at him again, which makes Neville look at the floor. 

"And your bravery. Merlin, you're brave." Blaise chuckles. 

"Too bold? Was that bad?" Neville asks nervously. 

"No, it was perfect." Blaise compliments, leaning towards Neville and kissing his warm red cheek. He leans away and grabs both of Neville's hands in his own and looks him in the eyes. "Neville... I love you. I really do. I didn't tell you in the letters because I was afraid, but I love you." He smiles brightly, "And it's alright if you don't say it back. I mean, I've had feelings for you for years and you've only had feelings for me for... months it seems. So, I get it." 

Neville says softly, "But I like you... more than a friend." 

Blaise smiles, "And that's enough for me." He stares at him for a few seconds, taking in his features, "You really are handsome, you know that right?" Blaise asks. 

"Eh..." Neville replies, his smile slowly fading. 

Blaise reaches forward again and leaves persistent kisses upon his cheek playfully, "Say you're handsome right now!" Blaise teases. 

"No!" Neville giggles. 

"Say it or I'll do this forever." Blaise sings. 

"Impossible!" Neville giggles. 

"Try me, darling." Blaise smirks. 

"Fine! I'm handsome now stop it!" He giggles. 

Blaise pulls away with his hands up, noticing Neville's cheeks were more red than before. "I stopped. Happy now?" Neville sighs annoyedly with a grin plastered upon his once frowning face. Blaise considers his mission accomplished. 

Blaise's heart flutters inside him. He had just done some of the things he's wanted to do for what seems like ages. It felt like a dream, but he hoped it wasn't one. 

"So... uh, you're the one who's been talking to me through letters?" Neville asks. 

"Yes, my dear Neville. It is me." Blaise says dramatically and Neville giggles. 

"You're more goofy than I thought you'd be." Neville says. 

"Is that good?" Blaise asks with an eyebrow raised. 

"Yes," Neville smiles, "But... I wanted to say thank you for helping me. I really appreciate you being there. You really helped me and uh, the gifts got me through a lot. I sleep with that blanket every day." 

"Well, I'm glad. I should be thanking you, you know. I could've been starving without you." He smiles at him.

"I'm still upset about that." Neville says with a sharp tone. "But hey, at least you're safe now." He looks at the ground and speaks again, "I need to tell you something else... That boy I was talking about in the letters... It was you." He rubs his neck and blushes again.

Blaise's heartbeats wildly inside his chest. "Oh... I'm the one who won the affections of Neville Longbottom... The first one in fact if your letters are correct." Blaise smirks proudly at him, but only to tease him. 

"Well uh... You dress pretty nice... You smell nice..." Neville says nervously. 

"Do you think I'm sexy?" Blaise teases. If it were possible, Neville's face would turn to flames at how red it was. "I'm joking, Nev." He chuckles softly. 

"Oh..." Neville says nervously. 

"I'm sorry." Blaise apologizes, "I won't go that far again, I promise." 

"No, it's ok. I just didn't expect it... I mean, you can be..." Neville says.

"Really now?" Blaise smirks, "How come? If you don't mind saying, of course."

"Your voice... That smile you've giving me right now... I must be making things weird." Neville says. 

Blaise laughs, "No, never. I get it. I agree, I am pretty hot."

Neville laughs, "That's so conceited!" 

"I'm still a Slytherin! What did you expect, my darling?" Blaise asks. 

"You're right, my bad." Neville replies with a smile. 

Blaise leans in to kiss Neville once again, only to be interrupted by a soft voice.

"Oh! I didn't mean to interrupt." Luna says, trying to hide the smirk on her face. "I just came to tell you that lunch was ready. It might be a bit uncomfortable sitting on the floor, but it's still the same food." Luna says. 

"Oh, great! Come on, Nev." Blaise says, grabbing Neville's hand in his own and walking towards the Great Hall, a smile never leaving his face.


	41. Chapter 41

Draco's POV:

It was a month after the war and his family was called down for a hearing. His father had told him exactly what to say, but to be completely honest, he was so afraid he couldn't process anything being said to him.

They all stood below the council, Draco's heart beating so heavily it nearly bursted from his chest. 

He hears the door open but stares straight ahead. 

"Welcome, Mister Potter." The judge says, which causes Draco's heart to stop. "Now, we ask you what are your experiences with them. What did the Malfoy's do to you?" The judge asks. 

"Sir, me and Mal-Draco had been enemies for a long time now, a long time. But, I will say this... I came into their home disguised before the battle at Hogwarts. Both Draco and his mother were asked if it was me. To be perfectly, honest, I really did think Draco knew it was me, but he said nothing. Neither did Misses Malfoy. Misses Malfoy also saved my life. She knew I was still alive before Voldemort did and she told no one. As for Draco, he's the one who threw me the wand that saved my life. Lucius Malfoy on the other hand, consistently tried to attack me and still had bad intentions I'm sure. But Misses Malfoy and Draco... I do truly believe they were on my side. As well as Severus Snape. We all thought he was terrible, but he did all of this because Dumbledore told him to. I feel the same goes for Draco and his mother. They were simply doing as they were told in order to survive and get through this war." Harry tells them. 

"So... you're saying Draco and Narcissa Malfoy saved your life?" The judge asks.

"Yes, I am." Harry says confidently. "I even have a letter Snape had written to Draco before he died." Harry says, reaching into his pocket and handing it over to the judge. 

The judge sits in silence and reads the letter. He looks up at Draco with sad eyes. 

He looks to the Auror beside him and whispers something and the Auror nods. 

"Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, come with me." The Auror says, walking towards the door. Draco attempts to move and notices he now is able to. His mother grabs his hand and leads him out the door with the Auror.

"Misses Malfoy, I have a few questions for you regarding your son and his father." The Auror says. 

"Alright," His mother says with a deep breath.

"How does your husband treat Draco?" He asks and Draco's heart stops once again.

His mother looks at the floor. "Lucius... he can be strict... Maybe too strict. I've tried to speak to him about it before but he doesn't listen to me and often gets angry when I bring it up." He never knew this. 

"How is he strict?" The man asks. 

His mother sniffs, "He... Draco, show him your shoulder." Draco darts his eyes from his mother to the Auror. "Please."

He hesitantly lowers his button-up shirt from his shoulder and is shocked himself. He didn't realize it looked that bad. His shoulder was covered in black and blue and still ached.

"I saw that the other day when Draco had fallen asleep. Apparently it had gotten worse. Lucius had gotten angry with him because he had a mistake when speaking to the- to Voldemort." She says, tears falling from her eyes. "Draco, I'm sorry." 

"Your husband did this?" The Auror asks. 

"Yes... He would sometimes beat up our house-elf instead of Draco... but other times he preferred to hit Draco." His mother admits. His eyes widen. He never expected his mother to ever care about this. 

The Auror looks at Draco and asks him to show any other bruises or injuries he must have. He took unbottoned his shirt and noticed for the first time in a while just how many bruises he had gotten. His whole torso was covered in black and blue. He is given permission to button his shirt back up, which he does and then the Auror quickly steps back inside and brings them with him. 

He whispers something to the judge and he nods. 

The judge says, grabbing his gavel and speaking again, "Due to information I was given recently, I hearby declare Draco Malfoy not guilty." He says, slamming his gavel down onto the sound block. "You may escort Draco Malfoy out of the court room." 

A woman in dark blue velvet robes grabs his arm and pulls him out the door. He sits there alone with the woman in disbelief, but overall happiness. 

***

Harry's POV:

He stood there watching the rest of the hearing unfold. 

"As for Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, the hearing continues. Now, Lucius Malfoy, I was given information that you have been violent at home with both Narcissa and Draco?" The judge asks him. The room seems to go even more silent than before. 

"Really? Are you kidding me?" Lucius asks angrily. "I never once hit Narcissa and if I ever hit Draco it was because he needed it. He wouldn't listen any other way." Lucius says.

Harry begins fuming. "Permission to speak, sir?" Harry asks the judge. 

"Permission granted, Mister Potter."

"Thank you. Mister Malfoy, forgive me, but Severus Snape himself said he saw Draco being beaten. In fact, I saw it myself, in the pensieve in Dumbledore's office. Not only did it show that Severus Snape was innocent but it also showed every single time you threatened, shouted at, and beat not only your son, but also your house-elf and wife. I'll show everyone here. I'll bring them to the pensieve myself and let them all see it for themselves." Harry informs sharply. 

The council stares at them both in shock. 

"You're worried about a house-elf?" Lucius snaps back. 

"You're ignoring the key issue here, Mister Malfoy. You beat on your own son, often for unnecessary reasons. Even if it was necessary, you beat him far too harshly. I believe you threw him down the stairs once?" Harry says, "And for what reason? Because he couldn't dodge a spell?! You disgust me." Harry snaps. He turns to the judge, "Permission to leave, sir?"

"Granted. Escort Harry Potter out of the court room, please." The judge says. 

Gregory Hullons, the Auror in the room, walks with Harry out into the hallway of the Ministry. His eyes are met with Draco's and Draco stands abruptly. 

"Can we speak alone?" He asks the woman beside Draco and Gregory Hullons. They both nod and walk away from them, leaving them alone in a silent hallway. 

"Harry... I'm sorry." Draco says softly. 

"Don't apologize. I understand now." Harry replies. 

"But... I tortured you for years, I threatened you in the Room of Requirment, I beat you up in class, and I joined the Dark Lord. There are many other things I did... Not to mention I tortured your friends too. All for some petty rivalry." Draco says. 

"First of all, just call him Voldemort. Second, I forgive you. Some of those things you had to do to survive. But, I would appreciate an apology to Ron, his family, and Hermione. As well as any other Gryffindors you bullied."

"I will. And... I should probably say something else... I need to thank you." Draco says awkwardly. 

Harry gives him a look of curiousity, so he continues on. "You saved my life... Twice actually." He looks at the ground and mutters, "And saved me from that boggart." 

"No need to thank me. It's the least I could do. There was no way I was going to let you burn, no matter how annoying you are..." He trails off, "And I for sure wasn't going to allow you to be thrown under the bus after I read Snape's letter... And saw his memories... Why didn't you tell anyone?" He asks.

"Who would I tell?" Draco asks. 

"Dumbledore? Professor McGonagall? Anyone at all." Harry says. 

"I told someone..." Draco says. 

"But they didn't help you?" Harry asks. 

"They couldn't. Besides, I asked them not to." Draco replies. 

"Who is it? Tell me now." Harry demands. 

"Why?" Draco asks with a scowl. 

"Because I demand to know why they didn't say anything. Especially if it was an adult." Harry says angrily. 

"It's not a big deal anymore. It's over with. I doubt I'll ever see my father after this." Draco says, "So just drop it. Besides, the person probably hates me now." 

"Who? Crabbe, maybe?" Harry asks.

"No! Just drop it!" Draco shouts. 

"It was Blaise, wasn't it? That's the person you're talking about?" He asks. 

"Maybe... Just drop it ok. He had enough to deal with himself. We weren't much different. He didn't see it as an option. So please, just drop it." Draco demands. 

Harry sighs. He admits that Draco could be right. "Fine... But look, I'll uh... I'll talk to Blaise for you, ok? I know you guys were close... or at least you seemed close."

"He won't want to be around me anymore. I basically betrayed him." Draco says.

"I'm sure if we talk to him he'll understand." Harry says. Draco simply shakes his head but doesn't say another word. 

The doors suddenly slam open to reveal Lucius Malfoy shouting a jerking away from Aurors carrying him out in handcuffs. 

Lucius glares at him and Draco with his teeth bared like an angry rottweiler. Draco steps backwards, bumping into a wall. His whole body begins to shake, even as he watches them drag him far away. His father is shaking like a mad man trying to get away, but fails miserably. 

Draco continues to shake and searches around the room for something. He catches sight of Harry, who is looking at him in worry. He begins to breathe like he just ran a marathon.

"Draco?" Harry asks. Draco looks like he'll throw up, or perhaps pass out. "Draco, calm down. Someone?!" He shouts. But there is no one. 

He bursts into the court room and sbouts, "Someone help! I think Draco's about to pass out!" A few people rush to help, including Narcissa Malfoy, but they're too late.

Laying there on the ground is Draco Malfoy. They rush towards him and Harry lays a hand on his chest, feeling him breathing softly.

"He's still alive!" Harry informs. 

"Let's get him to Saint Mungo's." Narcissa says, holding him up bridal style and carrying him away. Either Narcissa is incredibly strong, or Draco is incredibly skinny. He hopes for Narcissa's strength to be the reason. 

He follows closely behind her and they meet outside with the Knight Bus waiting for them. Someone must have called for it. 

They step inside and tell the ticket collector to take them to Saint Mungo's at full speed.


	42. Chapter 42

Draco's POV:

His eyes open to find Harry sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. 

He sits up and grunts and Harry jerks his head towards him. 

"You're alright!" Harry shouts. 

"Yeah... uh..." He looks around and notices many hospital beds with patients in them, "Why am I in a hospital?"

"You passed out in the Ministry." Harry says.

"What?! How?!" Draco shouts, only to be hushed by many patients. 

"It was after the hearing. I don't really know what did it." Harry says. 

Draco remembers his father coming out of the room, his teeth barred and trying desperately to get away from the Aurors holding him back. He didn't remember anything after that except a dreadful fear that his father would get loose and beat him to his grave. 

"Oh... Yeah, I remember now." Draco says. 

"I told Blaise to come here. But you should also expect Neville and Luna. He insisted on bringing them so, they'll be here soon." Harry says. 

"Blaise is coming?" Draco asks in disbelief. Why would he come to see him? 

"Yes. I told him everything and he plans on talking with you when he gets here. Well, he said whenever you wake up, but you're awake now so..." Harry informs. 

Draco sighs. Passing out over something that stupid? Really? His father couldn't even get to him and he passed out?! 

"You're awake?!" He looks over to see him mother looking at him with a bright smile. "Oh, we were both so worried!" Both? "We didn't know if you hit your head or if you'd not eaten enough. Oh, has he eaten?" She asks Harry.

"No, not yet. He just woke up." Harry replies.

"I'll go get the nurse." His mother says, rushing out of the room. He watches her walk out and greet three people, one in particular with a hug. The person happened to be Neville and the other two were Blaise and Luna. He noticed the three of them holding hands and felt very confused to say the least. 

They walked up to him and Luna let go of his hand while Neville held on. 

"Draco..." Blaise begins, "I see that you're better. At least a bit. How long have you been awake?" 

"Not long..." He replies awkwardly. 

"I heard about what happened." Blaise says quietly. 

"We'll let you two talk alone." Neville says, letting go of Blaise's hand, giving Blaise a smile and walking away with Luna and Harry following closely behind. 

Blaise looks at him in silence before saying, "Are you alright, mate?"

Draco turns his attention to the front, "Yeah..." Draco says softly. 

"I don't know if I believe that... I'm sure you're alright physically, though. I was told they fixed your injuries." Blaise says. 

"Oh... Nice." Draco replies emotionlessly. 

"Please look at me, Draco." Blaise begs but Draco doesn't do it. "I hope I didn't upset you or anything by not standing by you-"

"That's not it." Draco interrupts. 

"Then what is it?" Blaise asks. 

Draco sighs, "It's not you, that's for sure. I know why you didn't stand with me and I'm ok with it. But I honestly feel like you shouldn't be talking to me." 

"And why is that?" Blaise asks, sounding a bit pressed. 

"I betrayed you. I knew you were on the good side, or at least you would be, but I went ahead and did what father wanted." Draco says. 

Blaise scoffs, "Really? That's why you think I shouldn't be talking to you?! Draco, that's ridiculous. I admit, I was upset at first, but that was my fault. I didn't take into consideration what your father must have been doing. I for sure didn't try to imagine how bad it must be... When Harry told me I... I was at a loss for words. My anger at you was inconsiderate and wrong, I admit that now. I apologize, mate."

Draco shakes his head. Everyone's taking up for him and just accepting him, but for what? If anything, he was just as bad as his father. Not only that but he was weak. Everyone else put their lives on the line while he sat their and cowered in his little corner. 

"Look at me, you prat!" Blaise demands. Draco rolls his eyes but looks right at Blaise. His tough demeanor begins to fade. "I know you may not believe it, but you didn't do anything wrong. Yes, you accepted that lifestyle, but you did it to survive! We all forgive you. Well, at least Harry and his friends do. Including me! You were found not guilty. What other proof do you need?"

Draco doesn't respond, but instead holds back the tears threatening to fall onto his cheeks. But, as usual, his efforts fail. 

He feels Blaise's arms wrap around his neck. This time he really can't hold back the tears. He sobs the same way he sobbed in his room when his father striked his shoulder with his cane. He is almost tempted to, in Maggie's words, "punish himself" to make it stop. But if he did, Blaise would've thought he was insane. 

"We'll always be here for you, especially me. Every single one of us will be here. I promise. You're my best mate and I'm not gonna let you deal with this alone, ya hear?" Blaise says.

"You h-have... yo-your own pro-problems." Draco says through sobs. 

"Not anymore, mate." Blaise says, rubbing his back softly and increasing his grip only slightly on his hug. 

"What do you mean?" Draco sniffs. 

Blaise pulls away and looks at him, "I'm not living there anymore. Well, I got kicked out. My boyfriend, not knowing it was me of course, told Luna and she gave me a place to stay. Although, I almost got completely kicked out of there too... But I'm back there!"

"Woah... Wait... Boyfriend?!" Draco asks. 

Blaise smirks at him, "You could probably guess who. Regardless, it isn't a valid excuse to not let me help you anymore." 

Draco's eyes widen, "No! No, I need to hear it from you. Who's your boyfriend?"

"Don't change the subject." 

"Don't change the subject either!" Draco says back at him, slightly angered. 

"Fine, but after I tell you, we turn back to the original subject. Got it?" Draco nods to him and he takes a deep breath, "Neville and I are together." 

"Get out!" Draco says in surprise. 

"Now, for the original subject-"

"Are you kidding?! Who cares about me?! The boy you've been pining over for years is dating you and you expect me to just return to what we were talking about before?" 

"Draco-"

"Mister Malfoy?" says a nurse who interrupts their conversations, "Not meaning to intrude, but your mother insists that we get you something to eat as soon as possible." 

The nurse lays a metal tray onto the table beside him. It has a piece of chicken, cheese, black tea, and vegetable soup. 

He took a few bites of the chicken and that's when he realized just how hungry he was. Before he knew it, he was practically inhaling the food. 

"Calm down, mate. You might choke." Blaise says. 

"I'm so hungry!" He says, shoveling more food into his mouth. 

"I'm gonna go bring them back in." Blaise says and walks away. 

But Draco didn't hear a word. He was too busy eating. It wasn't until Harry was right in front of him that he felt his face burn. He carefully slurped up the soup in his mouth and politely wiped his mouth with the cloth he had been given and sat up straight. 

"Uh, the nurse said you'd be able to go home soon now that you're healed and awake." Harry informs. 

"Oh, good." Draco says. He hears the clanking of heels getting closer and closer. Coming towards them was his mother. 

"How do you feel, dear?" She asks him. 

"I feel alright." Draco replies, paying close attention to how he is eating. 

"We're thinking about bringing you home after you eat. But we'll have to pay close attention to what you eat now. You must eat three meals a day, she said, and drink more water." His mother says. "I'll help you out with that. Do you four mind helping as well?" She asks Blaise and them. 

"Of course, Misses Malfoy." Blaise responds. 

"We will keep a close eye on his diet." Luna promises. 

"Thank you. You are all so kind." His mother says with a smile. He nearly rolls his eyes. Why would he need to be looked after? He isn't a baby. Besides, he may be hungry but, really? Three times a day? It's not like he hasn't been eating at all. Well, if you don't count the times during the war. But, she's seen him eat! What's the big deal? 

When his finishes eating much more politely and listens to the people around them talk amongst themselves, he was free to leave. His mother insisted that he go to Hogwarts and be with his friends, but most of the time he just sat alone, not wanting to be around anyone. Not to mention Blaise was being disgustingly cute with Neville and Draco didn't want to be a third wheel. 

There was only one time he spoke to someone, and that was Harry. But he declined his request to join them in the Gryffindor common room, even after he told him Blaise wanted him there. 

He felt incredibly lonely, but at the same time he wanted it to stay like this forever. He deserved it after all.


	43. Chapter 43

Neville's POV:

They had slowly began rebuilding Hogwarts, but not very quickly. Due to the trauma they all experienced, Headmistress McGonagall insisted they take times to themselves and finish the castle later. 

He had went to see his grandmother and spend time with her. For the first time ever, she had grabbed onto him and hugged him tight. She cried and cried into his shoulder and told him how worried she was. 

He didn't tell her about his relationship with Blaise for many reasons, one of them being he just didn't think it was the time. The other being that he was terrified to tell her. What would he even say if he was asked if he was gay? He doesn't even know the answer to that question. To be perfectly honest, the only person he ever had feelings for was Blaise. Not even once did he think of anyone else or even consider dating anyone else. So, what was he exactly? He didn't think he was gay, but he for sure wasn't straight either. It's not like he wouldn't be open to dating anyone, but the thing is, he hasn't seen anyone that he's liked ever. Only Blaise. That's what confused him the most. But all of those thoughts seemed to dissappear when he was with Blaise. Everything seemed to go away with Blaise. Everything except him and Blaise.

He was back at Hogwarts, eating lunch with all the seventh years that came back along with Ginny and Luna. Blaise sat beside him and chatted with Ginny about Quidditch. Blaise cleaned his plate and laid it beside him. He nodded along with what Ginny was saying and leaned towards Neville with his arm out, laying it right across his shoulders. Neville blushed and continued to eat, even as his heart beat like mad and he could barely focus on anything let alone his food. 

He then noticed, due to his inability to calm his nerves, that he had left his bracelet at home. How many more times would he do this? However, this type of nervousness was much nicer than what he usually felt. 

The talking between Ginny and Blaise had stopped when Harry came towards their group and sat down. 

"Where the bloody hell is Draco?" Blaise asks angrily. 

"He didn't want to come. I'm going to take him some food though and make sure he eats it." Harry says, grabbing a tray and walking over to the table of food. 

"He's really worrying me." Blaise says. 

"M-ma-maybe... Maybe we c-can co-convince him to come t-tomorrow." Neville stutters, his face turning warmer with each word he says.

Blaise gives him a warm smile and squeezes his arm, he guesses as a way to comfort him. What Blaise doesn't understand is that it only makes it worse. But, again, a part of him doesn't mind it. 

"Maybe... I definitely could try." Blaise says, "Oh, uh, Neville I need to ask you something." Blaise mutters to him. 

"Y-yeah. What is i-it?" Neville asks softly.

"Maybe we should, uh, talk somewhere else." Blaise mutters. Neville nods at him and stands up. Blaise grabs hold of his hand, which makes his heart flutter in delight, and takes him away from their peers. 

"So... Uh, now that we're officially dating... I uh..." Blaise rubs the back of his neck and glances at the floor, "I thought we could go out together somewhere. I haven't really planned anything yet but uh... would you want to?" He winces slightly and waits for Neville's response. 

"A... Is t-this a d-date?" Neville asks, feeling his face heat up once more. 

"Yes! It's a date... I am asking you on a date." Blaise chuckles nervously and Neville can't help but smile. Seeing Blaise act as nervous as he does made him melt inside. He always thought of Blaise as this cool guy who never felt anxious and always walked around in elegance and poise. The more he's around him, the more he realizes that isn't the case, which only makes Blaise much more appealing. He let his guard down with Neville, and that meant much more to Neville than he'd ever be willing to admit.

"I w-would love to go wi-with you." Neville responds with his heart doing persistent jumping jacks inside his chest. 

Blaise's lips curve into a smile, "Perfect. We'll go tomorrow! I won't let you down." He leans in and pecks Neville on the lips and that crazy feeling in his stomach jolts inside of him. Will he ever be able to be casual about Blaise kissing him? He couldn't imagine being able to. Blaise was just so great at it, even if it only lasted a second. 

"I'll see you later, my darling. I have business to attend to." Blaise smirks and pulls Neville into a hug that makes Neville want to melt. "I love you. Be safe, alright?" Blaise says into his shoulder.

"I will. T-talk to y-you later, yeah?" Neville says. 

Blaise pulls away with a smile on his face, "Of course." He walks away without failing to look back at Neville and wave. Neville waves back awkwardly and notices Luna and Blaise walk out of the Great Hall together. 

Blaise's words ring in his ears. 'I love you' he hears. It felt amazing to hear those words. Every time he thought of them, it made him smile until his cheeks hurt. 

His happiest memory had now changed, but he was hoping he wouldn't ever have to use it for a dementor again. 

***

Harry's POV:

He kept feeling worried about Draco. Every thought was 'is Draco ok?', 'Has Draco eaten?', 'I hope Draco is safe.' Was he really this obsessed? He had bigger things to worry about than Draco, but his brain couldn't seem to process that truth. 

He grabbed the Marauder's Map, said aloud, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." And tapped his wand to the page. 

He opened it, feelings embarrassed that he's doing the same thing he did in 6th year. He looked around for Draco's name and there he was... in the second floor lavatory. 

Without a second thought, Harry grabs his invisibility cloak and makes his way to the second floor. 

Much to his dismay, he has to dodge stink bombs being thrown by Peeves at students going to their dorms. Once he got past that, he stood in the doorway of the bathroom. He could hear soft noises coming from inside. He steps closer as quietly as possible. 

He gets closer and can now see that it's Draco sitting on the floor, wiping his face with his hands and sobbing. Moaning Myrtle is floating above him with her hand on his back. His hair was messy and he was grabbing it in chunks angrily. 

"I'm a terrible person!" He sobs, "I called you a mudblood, I bullied everyone for years, and now everyone's acting like I deserve forgiveness?! Even bloody Ron Weasley is being nice to me... me! Blaise should hate me! I mean, I basically helped people try to kill the love of his life! Yet, he forgives me! They all forgive me... But why? Even you do! Why?!" Draco shouts. 

"I understand. I, too, dislike myself very much." Moaning Myrtle says, her voice echoing off the walls.

Harry feels like he shouldn't be hearing this all, but he can't seem to move. 

"Now I have to look at this STUPID mark for the rest of my life!" Draco shouts, banging on his leg. Harry wonders how hard he was hitting his leg, but it looked like it was hard enough to leave a bit of a mark. "I just want to get rid of it." He sobs, "It makes me even more disgusting than before." 

"No, darling, it doesn't. Don't think of yourself that way. You weren't disgusting to begin with!" Moaning Myrtle tells him. 

"Yes I was! I was arrogant and mean to everyone. But why? It's not like I'm special or perfect enough to act like that. Father was right, I am girly and whiney. I am weak! Why can't I just look and act like a normal, perfect person?!"

"Because it's impossible to be perfect," Myrtle says, "And that's what makes everything so beautiful. Besides, beauty is subjective and so is normal. Normal doesn't even exist in all reality. But, look on the bright side, at least you aren't me!" 

"No one can harm you, Myrtle. You can hide away easily and not have to worry about your own father killing you for not being perfect in front of company. Or maybe worse, beating you brutally! You have an easy life if we're being logical here." Draco replies with a scowl. 

Myrtle sighs, "I suppose you're right... But I'm still sad. I was made fun of a lot when I was alive, you know. People hit me a lot in school... And laughed and laughed at me."

"That's the issue! That's what I did to many, many people! I'm just like your bullies! I deserve no sympathy." 

"But you do! It's hard to be nice when you get no respect at home! If anything, I'd say you were simply afraid of being disrespected at school as well." Myrtle says, "At least that's my guess."

"It's not even that! Father didn't start hitting me until I was fourteen. I was mean to Harry and his friends because he didn't want to be my friend. I even bullied Weasley on his money status!" Draco says, running his hands through his hair in stress. Harry noted how soft his hair looked, even if it was incredibly messy at the moment. 

"Isn't that something your father taught you? I've met the man before, and he is no picnic. I may have been mad at you before, but in all reality, you only did all of that because you were taught to hate!" Myrtle says, rubbing his back. 

"Stop it! Just stop it, stop it, stop it!" Draco shouts, clenching his hands in fists, "I hate this stupid pity party everyone is giving me! I'm no charity and I for sure don't need charity! So what? My father was an arse, that doesn't mean I want people talking to me like I'm some hopeless little child who needs to be saved! I hate it! It might sound bad, but I want people to hate me! Or at least treat me like a normal person and not some weak boy who can't take care of himself. I didn't get charity before and I don't need it now!" 

Myrtle takes her hand off his back and slowly floats off into the ceiling. Draco pulls his knees to his chest and starts sobbing again. He reaches for his left sleeve and pulls it up. He looks at his wrist for a while and Harry decides it would be a good time to come out.

He takes the cloak off of him and clears his throat. Draco jerks his attention towards him with wide eyes and draws his wand. 

Harry holds his hands up, "No need. I'm not here to fight." 

"How long have you been here?" Draco asks defensively. 

Crud, he didn't think this through. "Uh, not long."

"Don't lie to me, Potter. What did you hear?!" He shouts, his wand still pointed at Harry. 

Harry looks down at his other arm, the dark mark clear as day. But, what else was that? There was something else. Draco follows his gaze and gasps. He pulls his sleeve down quickly and holds his arm close to him. 

"What?" Harry asks him. 

"Nothing... Now answer me!" Draco shouts.

"I didn't hear anything. I just hear someone crying and there you were." Harry lies. 

Draco rolls his eyes, "Fine, I'll believe you. But really, go away." 

"Why? Isn't this bathroom free for everyone?" Harry asks. 

"It's the girl's bathroom."

"Yet here we both are." Harry retorts. "Draco, drop the wand. I'm not going to attack you. Not again." He promises calmly. 

Draco gives him a suspicious look but still lowers the wand slowly and puts it in his pocket. 

"Why are you here?" Draco asks. 

He didn't think that through either... "I already told you! I heard crying so."

"You couldn't have heard it unless you entered the bathroom, idiot." Draco insults. "Why are you here?" 

"I uh... I was looking for... for you." Harry says awkwardly. "Well... not me looking for you. Blaise was looking for you... And Ginny... And Ron... And everyone else..." He says quickly.

Draco looked at him as if he was crazy and said, "Ok... Why?"

"Nothing! What? No I meant uh... They wanted you to come hang out with us." Harry says and shouts at himself silently. Even if it was true, Draco wouldn't want to considering everything he said to Myrtle!

"No thanks." Draco says and sits back down in his spot. Harry sighs and walks towards him. Draco puts his hand up, signalling for him to stop, and he does. "No. I want to be by myself." 

"But Draco-"

"Leave!" Draco shouts at him. 

Harry stands his guard. "I don't think I will."

"Really?" Draco says, standing up and grabbing his wand, "Leave or I'll hex you."

"No. Not leaving." Harry says, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"What the hell is your problem, Potter?" Draco growls. "Don't you understand that I don't want you here?! I don't want anyone here! Leave!" 

"What was on your arm?" Harry asks him. 

"What are you on? Have you dranken any alcohol today?" Draco smirks. 

"No, I haven't. In fact, I haven't dranken any alcohol in ten months, thank you very much." Harry retorts. 

"So that's why you are the way that you are?" Draco retorts back. 

"What's on your arm?" Harry asks again. 

"The bloody mark! What else would there be?" Draco scowls at him. 

"There was something else... I'm curious!" Harry says genuinely. Maybe if Draco shows him his arm he can compliment Draco and make him feel more confident? Even if the picture is traumatic for him. Then again, he didn't want to be treated like charity. Not that Harry was doing it for 'charity'. 

"Get out!" Draco shouts, putting his free hand onto Harry's chest and pushing him out. Harry grabs his hand to stop him and his back hits the wall. 

They both stop for a while and stare at each other. Harry is looking at him with wide eyes. Draco, on the other hand, is going back and forth from an angry expression to a confused one. 

"Let go of my hand." Draco demands threateningly. 

Harry's awareness is turned to their hands. He notices that Draco's hand was soft and delicate. He is so amazed by it that he forgets that Draco is incredibly angry at him right now and getting angrier. His grip loosens and Draco jerks away from him. 

"Now-"

"Your hand is so soft." He blurts out, instantly embarrassed by his words. He could feel his face warm up and tries to keep a confident demeanor. 

Draco simply looks at him, his wand slightly lowering and his hand softly shaking. But then his grip tightens again and he puts his wand in his pocket. "Fine, I'll leave." He says, pushing past Harry and out of the room. 

Harry stands there, shocked at himself. Why would he ever say that? Sure, it was true, but seriously?! He groans and silently shouts at himself for it. This is just like the time when he tried to talk to Cho Chang. Not that Draco is anything like that. They're just friends. That's all.


	44. Chapter 44

Neville's POV:

He walked towards the black lake with Blaise coming into view. He noticed him with two broomsticks and rubbing something off his shoulder. 

He noticed him and perked up, "Hey!" 

"Hi... Uh, why are there two broomsticks?" Neville asked. 

"Well... We're going to fly across this lake to a secret location for our date." Blaise informs. 

"No absolutely not! I'll... break something! Or fall or... I dunno. I can't fly!" Neville says.

"Well then... Perhaps I can teach you?" Blaise asks with a smile. 

"Madame Hooch couldn't even teach me! Every time I try I fail at it. Please, let me just ride on the broom with you." He begs. 

"No can do, Nev. You will not go your whole life not knowing how to fly. How will you transport yourself from place to place?" Blaise asks. 

"Floo powder! Or even apparation... Well, I might be bad at that too..." Neville trails off.

"I'll help you with that too! But for now we need to teach you how to fly." Blaise says, handing Neville a broom. 

"No. Blaise, seriously, I can't." Neville says.

Blaise gets on his broom and kicks off the ground. He flaats off the ground and stays there. 

"Go on then. Get on the broom." Blaise says.

"Blaise-"

"You won't regret it. Besides, you killed that snake. I'm sure you can take on this broom. Come on." Blaise says, gesturing for him to get on the broom. He does so, his nerves threatening to explode at any moment. Luckily enough, he had that life-saving bracelet on. 

"Now... gently kick off the ground." Blaise says. Neville looks at Blaise and shakes his head. "If anything happens, I got you, alright? I won't let you get hurt." Blaise assures. 

Neville takes a deep breath, grips his hands onto the broom and kicks off softly. He gasps when he notices he's floating and not flying all over the place like he did in first year. 

"Good job! Now try to move." Blaise says. 

"How?" Neville asks. 

"Try uh... Pushing your feet back." Blaise says. Neville does just that and kicks off into the sky at full speed. 

"No!" Neville shouts. 

"Stay calm! The more you freak out, the worse it makes it!" Blaise shouts behind him. Luckily for Neville, it wasn't possible to freak out. "Try to relax your muscles! It can slow down the broom!" Blaise shouts to him. 

He does just that and is relieved to notice the broom slow down. Blaise slows down beside him. 

"Look, Nev, you're flying!" Blaise says with a bright smile. 

"I... I am!" Neville says with a soft giggle. The broom dips down and he gasps. He tightens his grip on the broom and tips it up slowly and finds himself back in his spot and in control of the broom. "I did it!" He says, "Yeah!"

"I'm proud of you." Blaise says with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. Neville's heart soars. That's the first time he's ever heard that. He looks ahead of him to see various plains and mountains stretched across the grounds below them. 

It was a beautiful sight. The sun beat down upon them and highlighted the scenery below them. 

"Over there!" Blaise says, pointing to the right of them and tilting his broom ever so slightly that way and riding ahead of him. Neville follows him closely and notices him leaning his broom down. He looks ahead to see where Blaise is going and notices him getting closer and closer to a field of wildflowers colored purple, yellow, blue, and white. 

He watches Blaise land and tries to do it himself. Apparently he had gotten too confident. He falls off the broom and rolls across the meadow. 

Blaise runs up to him, "You alright?"

"Yeah." He grunts, "Just a little dizzy." He chuckles. 

Blaise grabs his hand and pulls him up, "You may have to get some extra help with landing." 

"Yeah." Neville says, stretching out his back. "So... this is the place?" Neville asks, taking in the picture of the flowers beside the lake. 

"Sure is! But... one more thing." Blaise says, grabbing his wand and holding out his hand in the air. "Accio picnic basket." 

He looks at the sky to see a basket flying its way over to them. Blaise catches it flawlessly and opens it up. He pulls out a blanket and lays it on the ground below them. 

"Sit wherever you want," Blaise says, gesturing to the blanket. Neville slides his shoes off his feet, showing off his clean socks and sitting down on the blanket. 

Blaise follows him after and begins unloading the basket. Blaise pulls out various foods like blueberries, apples, treacle tarts, and a container of various cheeses. 

"I didn't quite know what you'd like... so I brought as much as I could." Blaise says while he pulls out a container of strawberries and another of sandwiches. He then pulls out two jars of pumpkin juice. Then finally, he pulls out a bouquet of baby's breath flowers. "That is for you," He says, laying the flowers beside Neville. 

Neville smiles, "I love them! Thank you." 

Blaise smiles back at him and pops a blueberry into his mouth. "I'm glad." 

"And uh... Thanks for teaching me how to fly." Neville says with a blush.

"It's the least I could do. Didn't think you could, did you?" Blaise asks. 

"No... I always thought I was too clumsy to. You know... everyone thought I was a squib when I was younger... Sometimes I think they were right... But then whenever I think I can't possibly do magic at all, my grandmother reminds me that I survived being dropped by Great-Uncle Algie by using my magic when I was a baby. But even then... sometimes I worry I don't have enough magic. I don't think I really belong here." Neville says, "Sorry to make it all depressing..." 

"You're opening up to me, right? There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I welcome it. The thing of it is... I'd have to disagree with you. I've seen you do magic before and you are completely capable. Your wand just seems to fight against you a lot, but that isn't your fault. Seamus Finnigan always blew things up, but he's still skilled at magic! A part of the problem can simply be your nerves. Whenever I was angry or nervous my magic would always be more hard to control... You're wearing that bracelet today so... Perhaps try a spell?" Blaise suggests. 

Neville pulls out his wand and takes a deep breath. He remembers one spell he couldn't get right, "Avifors." He says, pointing his wand at a blueberry. 

The blueberry grows wings and flies away. 

Neville sighs and drops his shoulders, "That's not a bird." 

"Don't feel bad! You did a perfect patronus before. You have power, I know you do!" Blaise encourages. 

"But I always mess it up." Neville replies with a frown. 

Blaise grabs his hand and looks him in the eyes, "We all start somewhere. I'll help you practice if you need to! You got really far today with flying. You can do much, much more. I just know it." 

"Thank you." Neville says, but doesn't know if he really believes him. 

"I want you to try again. But this time, really concentrate on it. Imagine the blueberry is already a bird. Try it." Blaise says, handing him another blueberry. 

Neville sighs once more. He thinks about declining the offer, but instead points his wand at the blueberry, relaxes his muscles, and imagines a bird standing right in place of the blueberry. "Avifors!" He says. The blueberry grows one wing, then another, then the head of a bird. Then finally, the blueberry breaks open to reveal the body of the bird. It chirps and flies off into the sky. 

Neville smiles wide and looks at Blaise who is giving him a smirk. "You didn't believe me did you? But I was right, huh?" 

"Whatever." Neville says playfully. 

"You're powerful, darling, whether you like it or not." Blaise says, taking a bite of an apple. 

Neville reaches down and grabs a sandwich. He takes a bite of it and nods in approval. They ate most of the food after a while and it was getting darker. They laughed and chatted about many things, even about their families.

They decide that they're finished and Blaise puts everything back into the basket other than the flowers and blanket.

They sit in silence and listen to the sounds of nature. Blaise closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Neville watches him intently and notes how he looks in the setting sun. His skin looked golden and as he opened his eyes, he noticed they looked golden as well. 

Blaise notices him staring and smiles at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Neville replies, turning his gaze to the blanket below them. Everything is quiet until he realizes how close Blaise had gotten to him. 

Neville closes the space between them, but instantly wishes he didn't. Blaise was amazing at it and he never wanted it to end, but Neville couldn't help but realize that he kept ruining it. Their teeth clashed and Neville's face burned. He pulled away and Blaise smiled at him. 

"I'm sorry... I'm so bad at this. I ruin it every time." Neville says, hiding his face. 

Blaise grabs Neville's hands and holds them in his own. 

"That doesn't matter to me. As long as you're kissing me, that's all that matters. I wouldn't want anyone else." 

Neville bites his lip and says, "But what if I'm always bad?" 

Blaise leans in and whispers, "You'll learn, my darling. I'll even teach you if you want," He chuckles and makes Neville's heart flutter. "But even if you weren't able to learn I still wouldn't care. I love it and I love you, so so much." 

Blaise closes the space between them. His lips were soft and delicate against his. He couldn't help but feel jealous. His lips were chapped and rough, yet Blaise still kissed him. He didn't think he'd ever understand that. 

Blaise put his hand on the back of Neville's neck, deepening the kiss. Goosebumps ran across Neville's arm at Blaise's touch. Blaise pulls away and lays his hand on Neville's cheek delicately. 

Blaise lays down on the blanket, taking Neville with him. Neville makes a noise in shock, which makes Blaise chuckle at him. They clutch each other's warm hand and lay there in silence.

Neville is nervous to do it, but it doesn't stop him moving towards Blaise and resting his head on his chest. Blaise hums in content and puts his hand on Neville's, which was resting on his chest and puts the other in Neville's hair, softly running his fingers through it. Neville closes his eyes and lets his muscles relax. 

He feels himself falling asleep and before he knows it, he opens his eyes once more to see millions of stars in the sky above them. 

Neville sits up quickly and shakes Blaise awake. "Wake up!" 

"Huh? Oh... Hey, darling." Blaise says, his voice deeper than before. 

Neville blushes heavily and says, "We gotta go. It's really late."

"Oh, are you missing something or..."

"My grandmother wanted me home like... a long time ago." Neville informs. 

Blaise scrambles to his feet and hands Neville the broom. He grabs the basket and throws it over his shoulder and gets onto his broom. He kicks off, hovering above the ground. 

Neville does the same, trying to remind himself that he can fly. He can fly. They kick off and fly through the air. Neville tries not to stop to look at the scenery around him, although it was beautiful. His grandmother was going to be furious. 

They get close to the grounds of Hogwarts and Blaise tells him to let his feet down before landing, and it works! He lands perfectly! 

He rushes back into the castle and kisses Blaise goodbye. Everything was perfectly fine... until he looked over and saw his grandmother standing right there. Both him and Blaise look at her in horror.


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW/CW: homophobia and self-harm

Neville's POV:

Blaise and Neville sat at a table with his grandmother. 

"I wanted to tell you but I was afraid you'd be mad or hate me or... ask me about my sexuality." Neville says. 

"Why would asking you about your sexuality to be a problem?" His grandmother asks. 

"Well... I don't exactly know what it is... I mean, I've only ever had feelings for him." Neville says.

"You've always been a late bloomer, Neville. You never know... Maybe this is just a phase."

"But it's not! I like him, I really do!" Neville says. 

His grandmother sighs, "How long has this been going on?"

"Since after the war. We had been talking before this. I began to have feelings for him before that... But then we had the same patronus and-" 

"Really? Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?" His grandmother asks with an eyebrow raised. 

"Yes, grandmum. I know what I saw. He saw it too!" Neville gestures to Blaise. "We really like each other... He... He loves me!" 

"I honestly just think you two went through some traumatic events and now because you endured it together you both think you have feelings for each other." 

"No, grandmum. Really! He's had feelings for me for a long time and-"

"But you haven't?" His grandmother asks. 

"No, but-"

"Let's get you home." His grandmother says, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from Blaise. 

She apparates him home and puts a finger in his face. She only does that to scold him.

"You never are to see that wretched boy again! He is poisoning your mind!" His grandmother shouts. 

"No! You don't understand! He taught me how to fly! He makes me happy!" He shouts. 

"Don't raise your voice at me! My word is final! I am so dissappointed. You know what I've told you about this! You're letting this aftermath of the war turn you to bad things. What's next, alcohol?!" As his grandmother lectures his, he feels tears well up in his eyes. "Just go to your room." She says, waving him away. 

He walks off without another word. He locks himself in his bedroom and lets the tears flow out. He cries and cries with his blanket over his head. He holds it tight to himself, worrying if this will be one of the only things he'll have left of Blaise. 

He quickly grabs a quill and parchment. He dips his quill in ink and begins to write shakily.

"To Blaise, I worry that this will be the last time we talk. My grandmother says I can't see you anymore. It hurts so much. You've treated me so well and I care about you so much, but this could be goodbye. I'm sorry. I want to fix it but I can't. I don't want to let you go but I have no choice. Please, if I don't ever see or talk to you again, please move on. For me. I am begging you. Don't be alone forever because of me. I thank you for everything you've done and I'll miss you incredibly. I'm so so sorry. Goodbye - Neville." 

His hand shakes as he gives it to his owl and it flies away. He lays back down on his bed and cries more. He didn't understand why it hurt so much. Why did it feel like he was going to die?

He wishes he had some chocolate, or perhaps a treacle tart, to make him forget it all. But he didn't want to leave his room and come face to face with his grandmother. Not now, not ever again. 

***

Draco's POV:

He sat in the second floor bathroom once more. He stared at the dark mark on his arm that now had bright red cuts all over it. 

He wanted it to fade, or even dissappear entirely, but it never did. Even if slicing up his arm didn't take it away, it sure made me feel better.

It seemed to take it all away. The stress, the panic attacks, the sadness. He always hated pain being given to him, physically or mentally, but when he does it to himself... it's different. It almost feels... relaxing? No, not relaxing. Perhaps... relieving? Yeah, that was the word. 

Today was no exception. He found a new way to do it this time and he planned to try it. He grabbed his wand, pointing it to his dark mark and said, "Parvus ignis."

A small flame hit his arm and he screamed. He jerks it away and examines the injury. He takes a deep breath and feels his stress go away with every sting. It was bloody painful, but it was amazing. 

He lights his wand again with the spell and a small flame appears. He brings it to his arm, but before he can reach it someone shouts.

"Draco, what in the hell?!" He looks over to see Harry. He points his wand at him as the flame goes out. 

"Petrificus totalus!" Harry shouts at him. He falls to the ground and his wand drops from his hand with a clang. Harry runs over to him, grabs his arm and gives it a look. "Blimey! What are doing to yourself?!" Harry shouts at him. 

Harry pockets Draco's wand and takes out his own. He points it at Draco and says, "Finite Incantatem." 

Draco stand to his feet and gives Harry a scowl. "Are you serious?! Do you ever keep your nose out of anything?!" 

"What have you been doing to yourself?!" Harry shouts. 

"You really think it's any of your business?! News flash, Potter, you don't need to know everything. Not everyone is your friend who will tell you their life story." 

"Can't you see I'm worried about you?!" Harry asks. 

"Aww, I'm so touched." Draco says sarcastically. 

Harry huffs, "I take one look at your arm, Draco, one look! All I can see is burns and cuts and bruises. It can't be from your father! They healed you and he's gone. So what have you been doing to yourself?!" 

"Get out of my business." Draco says, walking away from him. Harry grabs onto his shirt and pulls him back. "Let go! I'm not a child!" Draco shouts. 

Harry pulls Draco around to face him. Their chests are nearly touching. "Draco... Please talk to me. That's all I ask."

Draco's tough demeanor nearly washes away, but he holds onto it like it was the only thing keeping him from falling to his death. "No. You're always in my way, always in my business. Get out of it and get out of my life!" Draco shouts. 

Before he can walk away, Harry grabs onto his hand and holds onto it tight.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me." Harry says. "Why are you doing this? You're hurting yourself! I thought you didn't want to be harmed anymore..."

Draco finally decides to talk to him, but doesn't once look at Harry. 

"It makes everything go away... All the scary thoughts, all the stress and sadness. I guess it's just a way of distracting myself from any emotional pain, you know. I know it's probably counterintuitive... But it kind of feels nice. It's easier to harm myself but it's harder for others to harm me. Maybe this all sounds stupid... But it makes sense to me." Draco says. 

"How long have you been doing this?" Harry asks him. 

"I don't know... Not long ago. But I did once hit myself to stop myself from crying after father hit me... I didn't do it again though until this week. It's been making everything shockingly easier." Draco says. "Now will you let go of my bloody hand?" 

"Right..." Harry lets go, "Sorry... We have to get you to Madame Pomfrey, she can-"

Draco turns around and gives him a 'are-you-serious?!' look. "No! Absolutely not! I'll just be sent to Saint Mungo's and treated like a crazy person. If you take me there or try to I will hex you into oblivion." Draco threatens. 

"Fine... But can I at least help you out with this?" Harry asks him. 

Draco gives him a scowl, "You don't understand it. How can you help?"

"I'll do anything. I just wanna be here to support you. Anything you need, I want to get it to you." Harry says. 

"Then leave me alone."

"Really?!"

"Yes, really. Go away." Draco demands. "But first give me back my wand." 

"No. You're misusing it. I don't think I will." Harry says. 

"It's my wand, give it back!" Draco demands. 

"Nope." Harry says. Draco runs after him and Harry runs away. They run all around the bathroom and he notices Harry try to escape from the exit. 

He gains enough adrenaline to catch up to him and tackle him to the floor. Draco is laying on his back and gets up on his knees. He pins Harry's hands to the ground. 

"I want my wand." Draco demands, "I'm not reaching down to get it, so you better get it for me."

"I uh... I'm ki-kinda pinned down right now..." Harry says awkwardly. "So it's either let me go or get it yourself." He grunts. "Also I am physically uncomfortable and getting cramps. Please let me up." 

Draco sits up and releases Harry. They both sit beside each other and Harry takes Draco's wand from his pocket. 

"Before I give this back to you... I want us to have an actual conversation about this." Harry says, "No fighting, no screaming. Just talking."

"About what exactly?" Draco asks. 

"What thoughts make you do this?" Harry asks him. 

"Various things... Mostly the war and moments with my father." Draco replies. 

"Uh... Anything else?" Harry mutters. 

"Not that I know of..." Draco sighs and debates telling him the truth. I mean, what has he got to lose? It's not like it matters if Harry hates him or thinks he's weird. "Well... Maybe I'm just... I dunno, lonely?"

"How come?" 

"I mean... Even though I've seperated myself from everyone... I don't really think they'd care anyways. I mean, let's face it, no one cared about me until they heard about the situation with my father."

"That's not true." Harry says. "Blaise cared for you and still cares for you!"

"He has a boyfriend to pay attention to and I'd probably just be a burden. I'd definitely be a third wheel with them as well." says Draco. 

"I've been a third wheel with Ron and Hermione for seven years." Harry chuckles, "It's not fun, but even if they are preoccupied with each other, they still care for me and love me." 

"I dunno... Even if Blaise did care, he's the only one that would. But I can't just parade around him all the time for emotional support. That would be invasive." Draco says, "But I don't know who else to talk to about it all and how to make the thoughts stop. So I just hide away." 

"You... could talk to me? You know... I've been having thoughts about the war too. I can't seem to sleep sometimes. Maybe we can talk about that together? You won't have to be alone." 

Draco scoffs, "You're only doing that for pity."

"I'm doing it to help you. I... I care about you. It may sound stupid and absolutely not true, but I'm not lying! I care about you a lot. Even if I thought you were a prat all year I kept thinking about that boggart incident... And uh..." Harry pauses for a while, "It just bothered me and made me worry about you. And that look you had at your house... I didn't wanna believe it but all I could see was fear. I really wish I could've helped you earlier. It's terrible to be forced into things and have a whole life planned out for you that you don't want. You know, we have a lot more in common than you'd like to admit." 

Draco looks at him, his tough act completely dissolved. "I suppose you're right." He sighs once more and says, "What about your family, Potter? What are they like?"

"Well... I live with my Aunt, my Uncle, and my cousin. They're all dreadful. My Aunt called me and my mother a freak for having magic and they would lock me in a cupboard under the stairs without food for weeks..." 

"They're muggles, right?" Draco asks and Harry nods. Draco scoffs and turns up his nose, "Muggles are disgusting creatures. Especially those repulsive relatives of yours." 

Harry chuckles, "You speak the truth, Malfoy. Although... Hermione's parents are pretty nice and my cousin actually apologized to me before the war. But my Aunt and Uncle... yeah they're repulsive." 

Draco chuckles as well. "Seriously though, that's terrible. I ought to hex them." 

"No. I did that to my Aunt Marge... Blew her up into a balloon... Could've gotten into loads of trouble for that. I don't recommend it." Harry says. 

Draco laughs so hard his chest hurts, "You blew her up into a balloon?" Harry nods while trying to hold back a smile. "Bravo, Harry Potter!" 

Harry frees his smile and leans on the wall behind him. Draco finds himself staring at him and Harry gives him a look of confusion. 

He always found Harry's wild hair incredibly charming and his bright green eyes mesmerizing. But it seemed different now. He couldn't put his finger on it. Harry looks down at something, but Draco doesn't stop to think about what he's looking at until he feels a hand grab his own. 

Harry was holding his hand... His hand. Not because they were fighting and he was pushing him away but because he reached for his hand... His hand! 

He can feel his heartbeat go from normal to crazy within seconds. When Harry enlances their hands and tightens his grip, it seems to go even crazier. He can't speak nor can he move. 

Harry's face gets closer to his. "I... I wanna kiss you... Is that weird?" He whispers.

Draco didn't think his heartbeat could get wilder than this. He locks eyes with Harry and looks down at his lips. They look so soft. What would it feel like to kiss them? 

"Uh..." Draco responds. 

Harry begins to pull away but Draco stops him and delicately connects their lips. Their lips move in perfect sync with each other. He feels like he's in heaven. 

They deepen the kiss and Draco reaches up into Harry's hair and runs his fingers though it. It is soft, so incredibly soft. 

Harry detaches their lips and kisses his cheek, then his jawline. The hair on Draco's arm stands up as Harry's lips reach his neck. Draco closes his eyes and allows the moment to take over him. 

But it only made the sound of someone shouting, "Woah!" Even more jarring. He nearly jumped out of his skin and Harry jumps away from him. 

There in the doorway is Ron, staring at them both in shock. 

"I'll leave you to it then..." Ron says awkwardly, walking away at once. 

Harry and Draco look at each other with wide-eyes. What just happened? 

"I uh... I better go now." Harry says quietly, standing up and leaving the lavatory without another word. 

Draco sits there in silence, his mind too occupied with what just happened to realize that Harry took his wand with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't randomly make up the words "parvus" and "ignis". They are both latin. Parvus means small or tiny. Ignis means flame. In short: Parvus Ignis is a spell I made up that makes your wand act like a lighter.


	46. Chapter 46

Neville's POV:

It had been weeks since he had seen Blaise. He didn't realize it could hurt this much. His grandmother would yell at him to come out of him room, but he refused. He only ate after his grandmother would go to bed and then he'd creep through the house and snack on blueberries and crackers. But even blueberries made him feel crappy. The only thing he could think of was Blaise, no matter what he did. 

He laid there alone that day, wishing his brain would stop working. He had a few letters come to him, but his grandmother always took them away. Perhaps if his owl was quieter and more stealthy, then he would be able to get the letters. Instead, he read through Blaise's old letters. Well, the one's where he didn't know it was Blaise. 

He read and read... until one passage made him think. 

"You don't owe anyone anything, let alone the Gryffindors. The only person that needs to know about this is you and the only person that has the right to tell you what to do is yourself."

Blaise is right! His grandmother can't tell him who to love or see! She sure can keep him from it, but that can't stop him. 

He thinks of a crazy idea... one that makes him sick to his stomach but also sounds perfect. 

Yes, that's what he'll do. 

He pulls up his window and hears his owl chirp behind him. Even Trevor makes a sound as to ask, "What in the world are you doing?"

"Shh!" He lectures them. He puts his leg on the window sill and pulls himself up with his hands. 

He is halfway outside when he realizes he will have to exit head first. He tries to pull up his other leg but falls down onto the ground instead. 

Luckily enough, he fell on his chest, but not on his face. He rolls over and stands up. He couldn't tell if the sick feeling he felt whirling around in his stomach was fear or excitement. Maybe both. 

All he had to do was get to Luna's house. But how? He needed a broom... Of course, his grandmother's old broom! 

He rushes to the shed, opens it up, and pulls out his grandmother's broom. It had dust and cobwebs on it, but he just brushed them away and and steps onto the broom. 

He kicks off into the air and flies through the clouds. He tries to remember where to find Luna's home. With many misdirections and twists and turns, he finally is met with the sight of Luna's house under the stars. 

He gets closer and realizes there are two people sitting on the grass below. He goes to land, but tumbles on the ground.

"Ow..." He grunts. 

"Neville?!" A familiar voice asks in surprise. A face suddenly comes into view. It was Blaise staring at him with wide eyes. 

Neville smiles softly, "Good evening." 

Blaise grabs his hand and pulls him up. He stumbles up and comes face to face with Blaise. "What in the world?! How are you here?! I thought your grandmum-"

"I snuck out." Neville says with a chuckle. 

Blaise looks even more surprised. "What?!" He shouts.

"I snuck out! She won't let me see you so I took matters into my own hands." Neville replies with a smirk. 

"Who are you and what have you done with my boy?" Blaise asks. He looks to the side and Neville follows his gaze. There sat Luna, looking at them both in shock. "Are you seeing this?" Blaise asks her. She nods.

"What?! It's not like I was just going to sit there and let us drift apart... I couldn't." Neville says. 

Luna smiles at them both and stands up, "I'll be inside. You two need to talk." She dissappears into the house and they both look at each other. 

"Neville... you're going to get into more trouble." Blaise says. 

"So what? It's not like I'm destroying my life with this! You make me the happiest I've ever been! Not to mention I flew all the way here when I couldn't have done that before. You taught me that! You make me a better person! I can't let anyone take that from me. Besides, I'm the only one who has the right to tell me what to do and how to feel. You said it yourself! Blaise... It really hurt to be without you. I don't know why exactly... But I missed you so much it physically hurt! Have you felt that before?" Neville asks him. 

Blaise looks at him for a few seconds until saying, "Yes... I have. I have a lot of times... It was with you! Before we got together and well... after you said you might not see me again. I couldn't eat... I couldn't sleep... It physically hurt without you." 

"So you do understand!" Neville says with a smile. Blaise doesn't reply, but instead pulls him into a tight hug.

"I missed you so much." He cries into Neville's shoulder. 

"I missed you too!" Neville says, holding onto Blaise for dear life. He took in his scent. He smelled of flowers, pine, and chocolate. He missed that smell. 

"I think I might be a bad influence." Blaise sniffs. 

Neville chuckles and rests his head on Blaise's shoulder. They sway together in the moonlight. He loved how he felt in Blaise's arms. He never wanted to let go. Suddenly, a thought enters his head. But no... that can't be right. But when he said it in his head it did feel right. 

"Blaise?" Neville asks. Blaise hums in response. He takes a shaky breath and says, "I think I might... Love you." 

Blaise pulls away, his hands still on Neville's biceps. "What did you say?" 

"I think I might love you..." Neville says again. He smiles wide. It felt right, but not entirely. Everything inside him told him to say what he really wanted to. He couldn't hold it back. "No... I do love you. I love you." Neville says, his smile growing wider. Perfect. It sounded and felt perfect. 

He watches a few tears fall from Blaise's eyes. "You love me?" 

"Yeah... Is that bad?" Neville says nervously.

Blaise smashes his lips onto Neville's. He stands there, shocked that Blaise would do that so spontaneously. After a few seconds, he begins to kiss back. 

They pull away and Blaise pecks him on the cheek and holds him tight once again. 

"I can't believe it." Blaise whispers. "I never thought I'd hear those words from you."

"Never?" Neville asks. 

"No, never. I never thought I'd even see you again." Blaise says, his voice cracking. He pulls away from Neville and looks into his eyes. "You have to go back home before your grandmother realizes you're gone."

"What?! No, I don't want to leave. I love being here with you." Neville protests. 

"I know. I love you here with me too but seriously... She might really restrict your freedoms more. You have to go, love." Blaise urges. 

"But-"

"Please. We'll see each other again, I promise." Blaise says, pecking him on the lips softly and kissing his forehead. "Go home, darling." 

Neville sighs, "Fine... Tell Luna I said bye."

"I will. I love you!" Blaise says with a big smile. 

"I love you too." Neville replies, his heart swelling up at the words. As he gets onto his broom, Blaise gives him another kiss and Neville's cheeks tint red. "I'll see you later." Neville says, kicking off and flying away.


	47. Chapter 47

Draco's POV:

Him and Harry continuously avoided each other and Ron continued to give them both weird looks. 

They would lock eyes on occassion, but they wouldn't keep eye contact for longer than a millisecond. 

Blaise sat beside Draco and gave him a smile. "It's been a while since I've seen you, mate."

"Yeah... Been a while." Draco responds. 

"Sorry for not talking to you. I've been busy with things and I haven't been able to find you." Blaise says. 

"No worries. I understand. How are you and Neville?" Draco asks. 

"Yeah well... Maybe I should talk to you about that. Neville can't even come to Hogwarts to help fix the castle anymore... His grandmother saw us kiss and... Yeah it didn't go so well." 

Draco drops everything he is doing. "What happened?! What did she do?"

"Well she says that Neville can't see me anymore. We didn't talk for weeks until he, get this, snuck out of his house in the middle of the night. Luckily enough me and Luna were both awake. It seemed to be perfect timing. I was so stressed about it I couldn't sleep so Luna went to talk to me about it and here comes Neville on a broom-"

"On a broom?! He can fly?!" Draco asks in shock. "And he snuck out?! Either Neville is completely different than I thought or he's gone completely mad."

Blaise smirks, "Apparently my words had impact on him... I might be the one making him rebellious. He's met up with me for, like, five nights?" He chuckles, "As for the flying... I taught him." 

"Wow. A lot has been going on for you, huh?"

"Yeah... So much." Blaise smiles with a happy sigh, "Anyways, what about you?" 

"Oh uh... I need to talk to you in private." Draco says. He walks into an empty hallway and Blaise follows him. "So basically something happened the other day and now it's awkward between me and Harry... And Ron." 

Blaise gives him a look of shock and worry, "Uh, what happened?" 

"Well... me and Harry kissed and... Ron saw it." Draco informs. 

"You kissed?!" Blaise exclaims. 

"Shh! No one else can know!" Draco says, "I don't even know how it happened it just... happened. Now Ron keeps giving us weird looks and it's weird to look or even be in the same room as Harry." 

"You're gonna have to talk to him about it eventually. You can't just ignore it." 

"Why can't I?" Draco asks. 

"Because that is not the way to deal with things! If you never communicate anything, you'll never know what could've been."

"Says the man who avoided the love of his life for three years." Draco retorts. 

"I may be hypocritical, but I know when I have made mistakes. Don't do what I did. Talk to him!" Blaise urges. 

"Fine." Draco says. 

"Don't just say that. I know you still don't plan on doing it. But if you have feelings for him, I promise you that nothing will be possible until you talk to him. That was proven to me not long ago. I'm telling you... you need to talk to him. Think about, yeah?" Blaise says. 

"Alright, I'll think about it." Draco sighs. Yet, even as he thought, he still didn't think he'd be able to even get one word out to Harry. He decided at once that he would continue to avoid him. 

It was cowardly to say the least, but let's be honest, we all expected it. 

***

Pansy's POV:

So much had gone on that she had nearly forgotten Draco's little crush on Harry. She noticed them giving each other strange looks. Ron seemed to notice as well. 

She followed Draco and Blaise into the hallway to hear a key piece of information. Draco had kissed Harry Potter! No wonder they were so weird. 

She had to get them together... but how? Veritaserum didn't work, but it sure did humiliate Neville. Speaking of... Everyone, especially in Slytherin house had been incredibly shocked when they saw Blaise and Neville all lovey-dovey. Everyone thought they were just friends, but not Pansy. 

However, it is a good love story for her. But that didn't make it any less shocking. Perhaps she was too invested in Harry and Draco to notice Blaise and Neville? 

She laid on her bed at home thinking about how to possibly get those two together. First, she had to figure out if Harry liked Draco back, even though she was positive he did. She couldn't be sure though. 

The next day she strutted down the halls and stepped right up to Harry and his little group of Gryffindors. 

"Harry, I must speak to you." She says. 

Harry darts his eyes from her to his friends and says, "I'll talk to you guys later." He pushes past them and walks all the way to the bottom of the hall where no one would hear them. 

"Last night in the common room I couldn't help but overhear Draco droning on and on about you." Pansy says. 

Harry's eyes widen, "Oh... What did he say?"

"You're wondering what he said? Well... I don't think I could tell you... You might be upset."

"Was it bad?" Harry asks nervously. 

"I uh..." 

"Please tell me. I'll do anything." Harry says. 

"Anything?" Pansy smirks, "I want ten chocolate frogs."

"Ten?!" Harry shouts. 

"Yes, ten. No less. You can get more than that if you want, though." She smirks again. 

"Fine. Just tell me, please." Harry pleads. 

"You promise to get me the frogs?" Pansy teases.

"Yes! Just tell me!" Harry exclaims. 

"Oh alright... He kept talking about how handsome you were and how he wishes he could talk to you." Pansy lies. 

"He did? He really said that?" Harry asks. 

"Yes indeed he did. It was getting pretty annoying. He also mentioned how nervous he is around you? I dunno... Hopefully that doesn't make things weird between you." Pansy says. 

"No it doesn't... I mean, we were starting to become friends and then..."

"Yeah?"

"Then he just stopped talking to me. I don't know why." Harry says. Pansy holds back a laugh. He is such a terrible liar. 

"Well... Maybe you should talk to him? I'm sure he'd appreciate it. Maybe you should let him down easy if you don't like him back." Pansy says. 

"So... he likes me? He actually likes me? Like... more than a friend?" 

"You seem to care a lot about it, huh?" Pansy smirks. 

Harry rubs his neck and looks at the ground. His cheeks are tinted pink. "No I'm just curious."

Again... terrible liar. "Alright. I'll see you later!" Pansy says, giving him a bright smile and skipping away. 

Next up, Draco Malfoy. 

There he was, standing in front of the common room talking to Blaise and that weird girl Luna. 

"Draco!" She sings. "I have to talk to you."

"What do you want, Pansy?" He snaps. 

"That is no way to talk to your friend who was some key information for you." She smirks. 

"What is it?" He snaps again. 

"Can we talk in private?" Pansy asks. 

"No, anything you need to say to me you can say in front of them." He gestures to Luna and Blaise. Blaise is giving her a glare while Luna has the same calm composure she always seems to have while giving her a friendly smile. 

"Fine." She groans. "It's about Harry." 

"What?!" Draco perks up. 

Pansy smirks, "I overheard him talking about you. He said your kiss was nice and-"

"I'll talk to you guys later." Draco says to Luna and Blaise. Blaise was snickering while Luna was smiling brightly. 

They walk away and Pansy overhears Luna say, "Oh, how wonderful is that?" 

Draco walks to a secluded spot and sits down on a bench. "Continue please."

"Right. Anyways, he said you kissed really nicely and he likes you a lot but he's afraid to talk to you after it." Pansy says. 

"Really? He said that?" Draco says. She could hear a hint of excitment in his voice. 

"Yes, indeed. I know it's probably rude to eavesdrop but... It just seemed like something important to tell you." Pansy says. 

"Well... thanks." Draco says awkwardly. 

"No worries and... I'm sorry for being kinda annoying in the past." Pansy says honestly. 

"It's ok. Thanks for telling me this." Draco replies awkwardly. 

"Of course! It's the least I can do for two little love birds!" She smirks and struts away from him. 

She was certain this would work. Only time would tell. If she was lucky, she'd see them together by the end of this week. Unless of course they'll be their classic stubborn selves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't important but I just looked up the actor who plays Pansy (Scarlett Byrne) and I just realized how pretty she is. How did no one tell me this and how did I not know like what. My lesbian heart omg. Anyways, I just had to vent about that. Ok, goodbye have a good day.


	48. Chapter 48

Neville's POV:

He stumbled through the window and crashed onto his bed. 

"Welcome back." A familiar voice said, making him shout. There was his grandmother, waiting for him in a chair with her arms crossed across her chest. "You really thought I wouldn't notice?"

"I'm sorry I just-"

"You're sneaking out to see that boy, aren't you?" She asks. Neville stares at her. He was glad he had his bracelet on, or he would probably start wheezing right about now. She walks over to him and sits beside him. She takes a deep breath and asks, "How do you really feel about his boy?"

Neville looks at the ground, not saying a word. She speaks again, "I want you to tell me honestly how you feel about him. I'm not here to yell, I'm here to talk." 

Neville bites the inside of his cheek and mutters, "I don't know if I feel comfortable saying it." 

"Let me tell you a story. When I was fifteen, I dated a boy named Rufus. He went to Durmstrang. But, when my mum and dad found out, they shouted and lectured me for a good few hours because they thought all students at Durmstrang were dark wizards. They were wrong... He was the sweetest boy I had ever met. He would help out anyone and everyone that needed it without a second of hesitation. But, because my parents didn't believe that, I wasn't able to see him anymore. And I didn't... Not for a few months at least. Until I decided to do exactly what you have been doing. I snuck out to see him, but I got caught... You wanna know why I did that, though?" 

"Why?" Neville whispers.

"Because I loved him..." His grandmother smiles to herself, "I've been thinking a lot lately, especially about him and that boy you've been hanging around... I even had a chat about it at your father's grave... A thought came to me, as if your father was speaking to me. I realized just how messed up you had been and how heartbroken you looked when I told you you couldn't see him. A voice said to me, 'Let Neville see him.' I never though it was possible or natural for boys to love boys and girls to love girls... But the more I thought about it and the more I talked to my friends and family about it, the more I realized just how wrong I was. And that voice too kept ringing in my ears. Even though I am incredibly dissappointed with you sneaking out... I think I will allow you to see him again. If I know anything about my past... It seems like you love that boy and I can't take that away from you." His grandmother finishes. 

"You... You're letting me see him?" Neville asks. 

"Yes. But, you are grounded for a week." His grandmother says. 

Neville jumps up and hugs her tight. She squeaks in surprise. "Thank you!" He shouts with a bright smile on his face. 

She chuckles and pulls away from him, "I guess you want those letters I didn't let you have?" 

"Yes please." He says. His grandmother walks over to the chair, reaches on the floor and hands him four pages of crinkled parchment. 

"Now get to bed." His grandmother says, "And no sneaking out!" She smiles and walks away.

***

Draco's POV:

The things Pansy said rang in his ears. But what if she lied? Pansy was one of the more Slytherin Slytherin's in their year and it wasn't uncommon for her to do things like this for her own personal gain. 

He was torn between finding Harry and telling him everything and just ignoring Pansy completely and trying to forget about what happened with Harry. 

Meanwhile, his father's words also rang in his head. One's about how boys who like boys are sick, disgusting people that deserve to die with the "mudbloods." What if his father was able to get out of Azkaban and he had gotten together with Harry? He'd be dead for sure. That wouldn't be an exaggeration or a figure of speech, he would seriously be dead. 

He sat on the steps of the fourth floor, hoping Harry wouldn't find him there. Much to his dismay, a voice behind him says:

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" He locks eyes with Harry who sits beside him. "I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Draco asks, turning his attention to the floor. 

"I've been thinking about what happened the other day... you know, the k-kiss and uh..." Harry trails off before speaking again, "Well I talked to Pansy about it and-"

"You did?! Oh..." Draco says.

"Yeah... She kinda confirmed that you liked me and I can't stop thinking about you and I really like you." Harry blurts out. "I'm not very good at this." He says with a nervous chuckle.

Draco can feel his cheeks heat up. He could only hope Harry didn't notice, yet realistically, it would be plain as day. 

"I-I've been thinking about you a lot too." Draco says. 

"You know... I uh, I've realized something." Harry says. 

"Yeah? What is that?" Draco asks nervously. 

"Ever since third year, I always kinda thought you were... attractive." Harry gives a nervous chuckle. 

Draco looks over at him, shocked by how close they were. "You did?" He says quietly. 

Harry inches his face closer to Draco's, "I did." He whispers. 

In a moment of courage, Draco whispers, "Kiss me." 

Harry smiles softly and kisses him gently. "You know," He whispers, "I used to think about this a lot. I'd ignore it though. I thought it was just some weird intrusive thought, but I realize now that I've wanted this for a long time." 

"Me too." Draco whispers. "I've always kind of liked you, although I was also just incredibly jealous of you. I mean, look at you! You're Harry Potter... of course I'd be jealous of you... But I didn't expect that I'd want to kiss you too." 

"I'm not that great. I'm just like everyone else." Harry says. 

"Oh, shut up." Draco says with a small smirk. "It's strange, though..." He grabs Harry's hand gently, "We've hated each other's guts for years... Well, maybe not hated but we sure acted like it. And now here we are." He smiles. 

"That is pretty strange. Maybe if we weren't so stubborn maybe we could've been friends, you know." 

"Maybe if I wasn't such a pretentious prat." Draco chuckles. 

"That too." Harry smirks. "I really want to give us a try. I'd love to show you the love and care you deserve if you'd accept it." 

Draco thinks for a while. Maybe being with Harry can make him a better person. Maybe it can change his life for the better. 

He's terrified that it won't work out, but he doesn't let that stop him from saying, "I'd love to give us a try as well." 

Harry interlocks their fingers and gives him a warm smile. "That's great! Would you want to keep it secret for a while until we get comfortable or..."

"A secret. I'm sorry if that upsets you but... If my father found out I'd..."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to not let any Rita Skeeter's know." Harry jokes. "I'll make sure you're safe and happy, I promise."

"Thank you so much." Draco says, pulling Harry close to him and wrapping his arms around him. 

Harry hugs him back and says, "We'll keep this a secret for as long as you need."

"Maybe we can tell a few people... Maybe Blaise and Neville. Maybe Luna too." Draco suggests.

"Of course! Would it be ok for me to tell Hermione or Ron?" Harry asks. 

"Would they tell anyone?" Draco asks. 

"Of course not, especially not Hermione. If it would make you feel better, I'll threaten to hex Ron if he tells." Harry jokes. 

Draco chuckles, "No thank you. I wouldn't want to see Ron blown up into a balloon." 

Harry laughs and they pull away. "So it's settled then. Only the few people we discussed will know unless of course we decide to make it public." 

"Thank you, Harry. Thank you so so much."

"Of course! To be honest, I wouldn't be happy with the Daily Prophet discussing my love life anyways. They'd probably go ballistic over me dating a boy. I wouldn't want them attacking either of us." 

"I'm just glad you're asking for my permission to tell people. If anyone knew, especially my father and he managed to get out of prison, I would be dead." Draco says with a nervous gulp. 

"That's terrible. But, again, I won't let anything happen to you. Not even what you can do to yourself. Which reminds me... We are going to get that sorted out, you know." Harry says. 

Draco sighs, "But it makes me feel better."

"I know it might make you feel better, but you're harming yourself! It's only a temporary release and it's a bad habit! It only leads to worse things... You can hurt yourself even worse and I don't want you to do that. I really do care about you and I've been worried sick!I know you're hurting, but there's better ways to deal with it. I'll even help you exercise better coping mechanisms. I'm here for you and I'll support you any way I can. But we need to get this sorted out before it gets any worse and you get addicted to it." Harry says. 

"I can't get addicted to it. It's not like a drug or something."

"It can be! Trust me, I've heard about it. Hermione helped me research it and I think I know how we can help you until we get you professional help." 

"I don't want professional help! I'll just be thrown into the hospital!" Draco exclaims. 

"You won't be unless they really think you won't be able to stop yourself or that you'll continue to harm yourself. But, really, now that I'm... your b-boyfriend... if that's ok to say... I think I should focus on helping you through this." Harry says. 

"You don't have to help me just because we're together now. I can handle it on my own." 

"I know I don't have to but I want to. I know you weren't shown a lot of love and support and I want to be the one to give it to you. Maybe even Blaise can help out if you let him! I'm sure he'd love to help you out. And I know you're strong enough to handle things yourself, but I really think some extra support can help you. Please, just let me help." Harry begs. 

"What will you do to help?" Draco asks. 

"Well... From the book Hermione showed me-"

"Wait, did you tell Hermione?!" Draco asks, half in anxiety and the other in anger. 

"No, I promise. I simply said that I needed to research self-harm for a friend. I never mentioned you I promise." Harry assures. 

His breathing relaxes, "Ok... continue."

"So... The book said that we need to find you some healthy coping mechanisms. Some examples were to swim or exercise or even talk to someone. They also say that you need to recognise the triggers and make a plan to stop your self-harm before it starts. They also suggest distracting yourself, which could probably also tie in with a coping mechanism. I don't remember it all but I'm sure I can get the book and we can look through it."

"I don't know-"

"Please... Let's just try." Harry pleads. 

"Ok... I'll try." Draco says. 

"Fantastic. I'll get that book as soon as possible, ok? We'll figure this out." Harry says, kissing his cheek softly. 

Oddly enough, a part of him doesn't want to get help. Why should he need to stop himself? It's not like his body matters. Nothing matters. But, he said yes for Harry. If Harry is happy, that's all that matters. That doesn't mean he'll have to do anything, right?


	49. Chapter 49

Blaise's POV:

He was happy for Neville to be back in his life. He even got to meet his grandmother! It was awkward, but she did make a good apple pie. 

Not to mention Draco and Harry finally got together! Even though they were keeping it secret, they still managed to look cute when they were together without even having to do "coupley-things".

Everything seemed great for everyone... but there was only one problem. Harry had brought to his attention that Draco was having issues. He was harming himself! 

He barely talked to Draco anymore so there was no way he'd be able to notice. He basically abandoned Draco! He couldn't help but wonder if it was all his fault. 

Every day, him and Harry would take turns checking Draco's arm for new marks. So far, he was clean! It wasn't until Harry came stomping towards him in a rush that he began to really worry. 

"Blaise, get up now! Something's wrong." Harry urges. 

"What? With what?!" 

"Hurry!" Harry shouts, running away from him and up the steps.

Blaise releases Neville's hand and rushes after him. He notices him going into the second floor bathroom... but why? 

As he steps into the doorway he can hear sobs and whines coming from inside. 

"Draco, where are you?!" Harry shouts. Oh no.

"I can't do it!" He hears Draco's voice cry out.

Harry looks under every stall, stopping at the far left one. 

"Let me in!" Harry shouts. 

"I can't! I can't move!" Draco shouts. 

Blaise rushes over, "Draco, it's Blaise. Tell us what's happening. Are you having urges?"

"Yes." Draco sobs. 

"Did you try a coping mechanism?" Harry asks.

"I can't!" Draco shouts. 

"You can! You're strong, we know you are. Try talking to us about it." Harry says calmly. 

"I tried to stop it! I really did! I worried that... if... I did it... you would both hate me... I would be a dissa-appointment." Draco says through sobs, "But I couldn't stop! It wouldn't go away no matter what I did! It wanted to rip my hair out!" Draco shouts. 

"You should've come to us." Blaise says. 

"No! You were both busy and I'd just be... a burden!" Draco sobs. 

"No you wouldn't." Both Harry and Blaise say in chorus. 

"Please help me! Get me out of here!" Draco begs. 

"Alohamora!" Harry shouts. The lock breaks and Harry opens the door to reveal a distressed Draco. 

His clothes were wrinkled, his hair a mess, his face and eyes red and covered in tears, and him rocking back and forth while violently scratching his arm. 

Harry walks towards him and grabs his hands. "Stop that. Come here." He whispers calmly, pulling Draco up. 

He's shaking as if he was standing naked in the freezing cold. Blaise couldn't stand to see him like this. 

Harry tries to stand him up, but he nearly falls over. 

"Blaise, come help hold him up." Harry says, putting Draco's arm over his shoulder. Blaise does the same with his other side and they start to walk him over towards the exit. 

"Harry... I uh, I think he needs to calm down before we take him anywhere. It might be bad for him if anyone sees him." Blaise says. 

"Right. Good thinking." Harry says, allowing Blaise to help gently set him on the floor. 

Harry grabs both of Draco's hands and looks at him eye to eye, "Everything will be ok. We've got you, ok? You're safe." 

Draco shakes his head, "I can't do this Harry! I don't know how to explain it! It's this weird sensation on my arms and... I need to do it or it will keep taunting me. Maybe that sounds strange but... I can't stop it! It's driving me mad." 

"You'll get past that I promise." Harry says. 

Draco looks at Blaise, his arms still shaking violently. "Blaise." 

"Do you need me?" Blaise asks him and he nods. He sits next to him and asks, "What do you need, mate?"

"I need a hug." He says, tears falling from his eyes. Harry lets go of Draco's hands and Blaise pulls him into a hug. 

Draco holds him tight and sobs into his shoulder. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing, mate. This happens to many people. We just need to get you professional help, that's all." Blaise says. 

"I want help." Draco sobs. 

"Ok. We can get you help. Me and Harry will figure something out, ok?" Blaise says. He can feel Draco shake against him. He wishes he could stop it for him, but he knows he can't. 

Unless...

"Hey Harry... I know this sounds stupid but go to McGonagall's office and ask for... essence of Lavender I think it is?" Blaise says. "And hurry, please."

"On it!" Harry says, running out of the bathroom like lightning. 

Blaise comforts Draco in the meantime and he attempts to get his mind off things by talking about potions, their boyfriends, and even different foods. It seems to calm down Draco's shaking as well as his crying. 

Harry comes back soon with the same bottle he saw in Dumbledore's wrinkly hands just before Christmas. 

Blaise puts some on his fingers and rubs it onto Draco's wrist and neck. Draco looks at him like he is crazy, but he continues on. 

"Now, take your wrist, hold it to your nose and breathe in. It will calm you down." Blaise informs.

Draco looks skeptical, but does as he is told. He slowly stops shaking and takes a deep breath. 

"That's really nice... What is it?" Draco asks, his voice almost back to normal. 

"It's lavender. It will calm you down a bit. I don't think it will stop any urges, but I think it can keep you from panicking and keep you levelled." Blaise says. 

"I feel a lot more calm. Wow." Draco says, holding his wrist to his nose and taking a deep breath in. "I still feel urges though."

"Don't think about them. Focus on the scent, focus on us." Blaise pauses for a minute, thinking of how to distract Draco, "Here, let's talk about something. Maybe... What makes us the happiest and why? You go first, Draco." Blaise says. 

Draco bites his lip before saying, "I... I don't know... Maybe someone else can go first and I'll go last?" 

Blaise looks at Harry and Harry says, "Uh... Ok um... Oh, yeah! Hermione, Ron, and the other Weasley's make me the happiest. They're like my family. We can always talk and laugh together without judgement and George always is the light of the room... even without Fred... He can always turn on a light in the darkness. Ron and Hermione act like an old married couple." Harry chuckles, "It's hilarious. And Molly and Arthur are basically a mother and father to me at this point... Blaise?"

"Well... Maybe it'll sound incredibly cheesy and sappy but... Neville does! He's always so adorable with his clumsiness and he has the cutest smiles. I just love him to death." Blaise can almost be certain he's smiling like an idiot. "Maybe you should go now, Draco."

Draco pauses for a minute. "It took me a while... But the only thing I can think of is you two... Harry's been here to support me and he gives me affection I've never had and... You, Blaise, you were the first person I was able to talk to about my problems in life and the first person to give me an actual hug." A single tear escapes Draco's eye, "Words cannot express how much that meant to me. It may have just been a simple hug, but to me it was so much more. It was actual love someone showed me for the first time! And now Harry comes along and is showing me even more love and... It's so bizzare... It's hard to believe it's real sometimes. Sometimes I worry I'm just imagining it all and I went crazy eventually with my father and now I'm imagining every good thing to happen to me ever." 

"You aren't. We actually love you, both of us." Harry says. 

"We really do. You mean the world to us, Draco." Blaise says, giving him a warm smile. 

"You both mean so much to me." Draco cries. "I worry I'll lose you any moment now." He chuckles humorlessly. 

"You can't get rid of us even if you tried." Blaise jokes. 

Draco sniffs and Harry takes hold of his hands. "We'll always be here to support you when you need it, no matter what happens." Harry says. 

"You really mean that? You would both do that?" Draco asks. 

"Definitely. We'll always make sure you get the help and love you deserve. That's a promise." Harry says. 

Draco reaches towards them both and hugs them close. They talked for a couple more minutes and then they both walked him to the Great Hall where many different people would talk to Draco.

Oddly enough, he seemed the most comfortable around Luna! He never expected that, but then again he felt comfortable around Luna as well. 

Even George Weasley talked to him shockingly enough! He even made him laugh a few times. 

The more people that talked to Draco and the more Draco responded, the more shocked Blaise felt. 

He turned to Harry, who also seemed surprised. 

"I'm glad he's socializing for once. I was worried he'd never talk to anyone else." Harry says. 

"Me too. He seems to feel better. I hope he keeps doing this... It might be a good distraction for him." Blaise says. 

"Yeah, it might. Maybe if he keeps talking to George he might feel a bit better." Harry says with a smile, "Him and Fred always made me feel better in bad times. Hopefully he can help Draco out. Maybe we can all become a family." 

Blaise smiles, "He'd love that. Maybe we should organize a family dinner. Me, you, Draco, the Weasley's, all of us!" 

"That would be a great idea! We'll all go to the Burrow tomorrow and set it up. Hopefully Mr. Weasley won't be upset with a Malfoy being at his house... but I'm sure I can help him understand the situation. It would be good for him and all of us!" Harry suggests. 

Without another word, he rushes towards Ron and talks to him about, what he expects is the dinner. He watches their mouths move and soon enough Harry comes back to say:

"Tomorrow at five Hermione will come to bring you, Luna, Draco and Neville to the Burrow. Be ready." Harry says.


	50. Chapter 50

Draco's POV:

Blaise had invited him and Neville to Luna's house for an unknown reason. They seemed to be waiting for something and Blaise wouldn't let him eat anything. 

There came a knock on the door and Luna rushes over to get it. Right in the doorway is Hermione. 

"You guys ready?" Hermione asks. 

"Ready for what?" Both him and Neville ask her. 

"Oh yeah, surprise! We're going to the Weasley's for a nice dinner with everyone." Blaise informs. 

"Wait, who's gonna be there?" Neville asks nervously. 

"Only people we know. Don't worry." Blaise assures him and puts his arm around his shoulder. 

"I'll apparate you all there. Grab onto me." Hermione says. 

They all rush towards her. Draco felt awkward having any physical contact with Hermione, but he still grabbed onto her jacket. 

With a woosh, they land right in front of an odd looking house. It seemed to have many different houses stacked upon it and almost seemed to reach the heavens. 

Hermione rushes towards the house and they all follow her. She stops in front of a old wooden door. She turns the knob with a creaking sound and steps inside. They all follow her closely and Draco gets a whiff of some kind of food cooking, warm pie, and old parchment. 

Draco took a look around. It seemed cluttered and chaotic, but oddly comforting in some way. He didn't know how to explain it. It for sure wasn't anything like his home. 

"Hermione!" says the round red-headed woman he's seen many times before. "Oh, it's so amazing to see you. I see you've brought some new faces here!" Her eyes meet his own and he begins to worry for a minute, until she gives him a bright smile and says, "Draco, how wonderful to truly meet you." She reaches towards him and gives him a warm hug. 

Even though he knows nothing about this woman other than his father hates her and her family, especially her husband, he strangely enough feels like he's getting a hug from his own mother. 

Not that he doesn't have his own mother. They have been bonding recently, him and his mother. But her hugs seemed slightly colder than this one. 

"We are so happy to have you here. Make yourself at home!" She says, pulling away from him. 

He takes a step back and watches as she greets the rest of them with the same warm hug. 

He searched the room and caught eyes with his father's enemy Arthur Weasley. He gives him a small wave followed by a small smile. Draco awkwardly gives a wave back. 

"Draco, you're here!" says Harry with a bright smile. 

"Are you sure I should be here? I mean, I'm not too friendly with the Weasley's..." Draco says. 

"They said you were welcome here. They even asked your mother what you'd want to eat." Harry says. 

Before Draco could say another word, Molly's voice booms through the house. "Dinner is ready!" She shouts. 

Ron and George both run over to the table and Harry leads him towards them. 

He scans the table and notices there's chicken legs, mashed potatoes, corn, crumpets, carrots, and even grapes. 

Ron and George were already filling up their plates and Arthur Weasley was already taking bites of chicken. 

"Boys, leave some for the guests!" Molly Weasley scolds. 

"Ok." Arthur says, a mouth full of food. 

Molly rolls her eyes and urges them all to take a seat. Draco sits with Harry while Hermione takes a seat beside Ron, Ginny sits with Luna, and Blaise sits with Neville. Molly takes a seat beside her husband and begins to fill her plate as well. 

Draco hesitantly starts to fill his as well. He wasn't used to filling his own plate and he for sure wasn't used to getting to chose how much he could pick up and what exactly he wanted. It was all new to him. 

He watched as the three Weasley boys stuffed their faces. He was never allowed to do that. 

He takes a gentle bite of chicken and almost instantly cleans his face off and feels out of place. 

For all of his life, the dinners with his mother and father were completely silent and with many rules, most of which the Weasley's were breaking. 

His father was many miles away, locked up in jail. No one could touch him here and he was safe, yet he was holding onto these rules like his life depended on it. 

"This is so good!" George Weasley shouts with a mouth-full of food. 

"Close your mouth!" Molly Weasley scolds. 

George Weasley simply ignores it and shoves more food into his mouth. Other people might've thought it was gross, but Draco saw it as hilarious and admirable. They didn't have a care in the world. 

"You're so disgusting!" Ginny says through giggles. 

"Says the girl who eats like a troll whenever the cupcakes come out." George says with a playful scowl. 

Ginny looks down with a heavy blush upon her cheeks and says, "Well at least I don't chew with my mouth open!" 

"We have guests!" Molly scolds. 

He can hear Harry chuckle softly beside him. He looks over and Harry whispers, "This happens a lot. It's pretty fun to watch, but not to be in I'm sure." 

Draco watches them argue silently from the other side of the table and smiles softly, yet he can't help but feel envious. He never had a family like theirs, but it's often what he would wish for. He feels even more stupid for shaming the Weasley's before. Maybe it's just because they had everything he didn't. 

"I want to make a toast!" Arthur Weasley announces, raising his glass in the air. "To our new friends, Draco and Blaise."

"Our new friends!" Everyone else says, clinking their glasses with his own and drinking from them. 

Arthur gives both Blaise and Draco a warm smile. They both smile back at him, but Draco feels like he gave more of a wince. 

He felt tears form into his eyes but he tried to push them down as much as possible. Is he really going to be this stupid and cry over that? 

He could hit himself, that always seemed to stop it. But then again Harry was right beside him and he would definitely notice. Not to mention if Luna on the other side of him happened the notice she would then be concerned too. 

"Excuse me, where is your bathroom?" Draco asks politely, impressively hiding any amount of voice-cracking that could've come through.

"Down that hall to the left, dear." Molly says, pointing him in the right direction. 

He rushes that way and finds it almost instantly. He locks himself in and takes a deep breath. Why did he get so emotional over that? 

Then, he realized that it was because that toast oddly enough make him feel included. It made him feel like he was apart of this perfect family that loved each other and maybe, if he was apart of it as well, they would all love him too. But that was unrealistic. They just formally met for the first time after he insulted all of them for years along with his father. 

However, the event still rings inside his head and many tears fall from his eyes. He crosses his arms over his chest, feeling embarrassed. 

A knock came at the door. "Draco?" Harry's voice asks. 

He wipes his eyes and sniffs, "Yeah?" 

"Are you ok?" Harry asks him. 

"Yeah, of course." He says back. 

"Open the door if you can, please." Harry mutters. 

Draco takes a deep breath and opens the door. He attempts to appear like everything is fine, yet Harry narrows his eyes at him. 

"Your eyes are red." He whispers. 

"I'm fine." Draco says with a forced smile.

"Did something make you upset?" Harry whispers. "I can take you home, you know."

"No, I... I really do like it here. It's just..." Draco feels the tears coming back and stops. 

"I'm sorry if something upset you, really." Harry whispers. 

"Really, nothing upset me... The toast was all-" Draco stops talking as his voice cracks. 

"You can tell me, you know." Harry whispers. "You wanna talk about it somewhere else?"

"Yes, please." Draco whispers. 

Harry takes his hand and leads him down the hall. He opens the very last door, which leads outside. 

Harry closes the door behind them and sits down on the steps. 

"So, what happened?" He asks Draco. 

"The toast just... It's probably stupid." Draco chuckles humorlessly. 

"Nothing is stupid. You can tell me anything, never forget that." Harry assures. 

Draco takes a deep breath and says, "I don't know... I was just sitting there realizing just how different my family is from theirs. I mean, my family has all these table rules and we have to be silent at the table and sit up straight. The Weasley's have none of that. My family is small and lonely and theirs is big and welcoming. I started to get jealous, you know. How could I have ever insulted a family like that? Then they made a toast and I... I felt included in their family almost... Even though I'm probably not at all." Draco says. "And I felt like someone was seeing me, you know. No one ever sees me really... Unless I make a big scene." He chuckles shortly. 

"So it's... Happy tears?" Harry asks. 

"I suppose so. But they're pretty stupid." Draco says. 

"I actually felt like that once... When I became friends with Ron and Christmas came, Molly made me a sweater. Ron always hated it, but that present made me feel so special and loved even though I wasn't a part of their family. And when I first came to the Burrow... It was amazing. It was like the loving home I've never had." Harry says. "I understand you completely."

"But it's embarrassing to cry over it, right?" Draco asks. "I mean, I shouldn't get emotional over that."

"You're just going to invalidate your feelings like that?" Harry asks. "You know, the brain is a weird thing and considering the things you've gone through recently, it's not completely irrational to cry over it. To be honest, I cried the other day because Ron and Hermione gave me a hug. You could say that was pretty stupid too. A long time ago Ron cried over getting a gold Godric Gryffindor card. George laughed at him for weeks... But my point is, you aren't stupid for crying over this and you shouldn't tell yourself otherwise."

"Thanks, Harry." Draco says with a real smile this time. "I guess it is less stupid than crying over a card." He jokes. 

"Don't tell Ron I told you, he'd go ballistic." Harry says. "So, ready to go back inside?"

"I think so... Hopefully I don't cry in front of them." 

"Don't worry. Even if you do, that'll only prove how much heart you have." Harry says with a smile. "Come on," Harry says, grabbing his hand and leading him back inside. 

They drop hands when they come into view of the table. 

"Oh, there you are!" Arthur says happily, "It's time for dessert!" 

"Draco needs to get the first piece!" Molly says, smacking George's hand away from whatever was on the table. 

Draco steps closer and gasps. His childhood dream was right in front of him. 

"Well we asked your mother what you'd want to eat and she said you were never able to have this for some reason... So we made it! We had to ask Blaise himself what he wanted, so he didn't get a surprise but... Surprise!" Molly says happily. 

There, sitting in all it's glory was a banoffee pie. He'd never seen one in person since he was twelve and it sat on his father's table, taunting him. He would beg for a piece, but father would never let him have one. 

He's surprised his mother had paid enough attention to know that he'd always wanted it. 

"Go get a piece, any piece!" Molly urges. He was almost afraid to ruin it's beauty. 

He steps up to the plate and grabs the knife. He cuts it perfectly and slides it onto his plate. 

As soon as he takes it back to his seat and get comfortable, George, Arthur, and Ron all attack the pie. 

He grabs his fork and stabs it into the pie. He shovels the piece into his mouth and nods in approval. 

"It's just as good as I imagined!" He says to Harry. Harry grins at him as he takes many more bites of the pie. He doesn't even realize that he abandoned his table manners almost completely. 

"How is it, dear?" Molly asks. 

Draco quickly wipes his face and swallows the slice. "It's amazing!" He says, which makes Molly perk up. 

The Weasley boys make noises in agreement, their mouths full of pie. 

He felt as if he was a child again and for once in his life he felt really happy. Not only because of the pie, but also because people had began to talk to him. 

George said jokes and he would laugh along with them all while Ron and Hermione continued to playfully argue and Blaise and Neville continued to converse and stare lovingly at each other. 

For a while, it felt to him as if he was laughing with his family. What he failed to realize was that this is his family after all and will be until the day he dies.


	51. What Happened in the End?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An explaination of everyone's futures.

Neville and Blaise both had gotten married in the year of 2002 and stayed married until their death. Blaise had decided to drop the name 'Zabini' and is now Blaise Longbottom. They had one child named Naya Longbottom when had gotten sorted into Slytherin. When Naya was six years old, Neville had gone to visit his mother and learned that she was able to talk to him again! She didn't remember anything after the incident that put her in the hospital, but she was amazed to see her son all grown up and be able to meet his husband (which she supported fully) and their daughter. Sadly, though, she died two days later. 

Neville had become a herbology teacher at Hogwarts while Blaise owns his own business in Diagon Alley with Luna in which they sell herbology and pet supplies. 

***

Draco and Harry both got married in the year of 2005 and had two children. The oldest being Albus James Potter and the other being Lily Minerva Potter. Albus was sorted into Slytherin while Lily is a Gryffindor. Draco had also dropped his original surname and is now Draco Potter. 

Harry works as an Auror in the ministry and Draco works as a Potions teacher at Hogwarts. After people discovered Draco and Harry's relationship, many stopped supporting Harry, which made Draco insecure, but they both talked about it and they decided to not let it get to them and are now living happily together with their friends and family supporting them fully, unless it's Lucius of course. 

Shortly after the book, Draco does get counseling along with Harry and they both overcome their mental health struggles and Draco never harms himself again. 

***

After becoming best friends, Ginny and Luna realize that they both liked each other! They dated for four years, but they slowly drifted apart. They broke up but are still on good terms with each other. 

***

Hermione and Ron get married in the year of 2002 as well, but months after Neville and Blaise got married. They both work as Aurors at the ministry and also advocate for LGBT+ rights. Hermione also still advocates for House-Elf rights, even as Ron tells her it's useless. 

They have two children, the oldest being Rose Granger-Weasley, the other being Hugo Granger-Weasley. Rose and Hugo were both sorted into Gryffindor.

***

Pansy eventually became good friends with Blaise, Neville, Harry, Draco, and Luna. But, Luna is her best friend. She now runs a match-making business and is called Match-making Pansy. She is pretty popular, actually, but Draco and Harry get annoyed with her constant brags about getting them together. She remains single and happy in her small, but comfortable, flat/apartment. 

***

George Weasley still continues to grieve the loss of Fred, but runs Weasley's Wizard Wheezes like normal. Ron and Ginny help him run the business so he doesn't get too stressed. He continues to take counseling after being urged by Harry to do so. He also remains single but helps out Molly and Arthur at home because they're getting older every day. Although, it does make him happy to be around his parents and be able to help them out any way he can. 

***

Ginny lives with her girlfriend, who she's been with for a year. They live out in the city and have two female dogs. She visits her family often, unlike her brother Percy who hasn't been seen since their fifth year, and brings her dogs and girlfriend along which brings Molly joy. 

***

Luna lives alone at her childhood home. Her father died a few years after the war, but Blaise was able to help her get to her feet before he moved in with Neville. She owns one cat named Beatrice and has a butterfly who visits her everyday in the garden that she named Frank. She is also single but very comfortable with it and enjoys running her shop with Blaise, who she ended up calling her brother after a few years of living together. It seems to make Blaise smile. She was also given the title of godmother from Neville and Blaise and babysits Naya whenever Blaise and Neville go out somewhere or they have to work. However, when Naya was a baby she'd often cry for Luna because she'd have to watch her so much. Naya is still very close to Luna and often comes to her for everything, but eventually had gotten close to her fathers as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side-note: I did write this on wattpad before I got an account on here. My username there is @azorafreakingsmokes I don't write much fanfictions there but more of my work is there. Thanks to anyone reading here though! Seeing people interacting and liking my stories makes me day all the time. To be honest, I might make a switch here. Probably because I read an amazing Richie and Eddie story. One more chapter to go though with extra information on the characters (my headcanons of course along with a couple of actual canon things).


	52. Extra Info

::Sexualities of the Characters::  
\- Neville: Demisexual Demiromantic (discovered by Harry's child Albus, an aroace, telling him what it is.)  
\- Blaise: Homoromantic Bisexual (never finds it out but doesn't seem to care)  
\- Draco: Homosexual Homoromantic  
\- Harry: Bisexual Biromantic with a preference for boys.  
\- Luna: Homosexual Homoromantic   
\- Ginny: Bisexual Biromantic   
\- Pansy: Pansexual Panromantic  
\- Hermione: Heterosexual Heteromantic  
\- Ron: Heterosexual Heteromantic   
\- George: Heterosexual Heteromantic 

::Patronus's::  
\- Neville: Lion (happiest memory: when his mother had gotten better and could speak to him. Originally was the moments he had with Blaise before and after they started dating)  
\- Blaise: Lion (happiest memory: moments with Neville)  
\- Draco: Dragon (happiest memory: the times he has with all his friend's and family. It used to be the first time he talked to Blaise about his home life and Blaise gave him a hug)  
\- Harry: Stag (happiest memory: having his children with Draco)  
\- Luna: Hare (happiest memory: moments with her friends, especially when they'd take up for her and make her laugh)  
\- Ginny: Horse (happiest memory: first time she rode a broomstick)  
\- Pansy: Flamingo (happiest memory: her business becoming successful)  
\- Hermione: Otter (happiest memory: moments with Ron and Harry)  
\- Ron: Jack Russel Terrier (happiest memory: first time he kissed Hermione)  
\- George: Magpie (happiest memory: used to be moments with Fred. He can no longer cast a patronus)

::The Children Situation::  
You may be wondering how same-sex couples in this book can create biological children. If not, you may be wondering now. So, the children can be created with magic. The process was developed in 2003 and couples Brian and Ned from America were the first to try it. It went successfully, so then more couples decided to do it as well. It isn't an mpreg situation at all, the children actually are born instantly, but are fully developed as if they very growing nine months inside of a mother. Many people are against it because they feel it's unnatural or that couple's do it without thinking, but many same-sex couples who want to have children this way have to go through classes to learn to how take care of a baby and see if they are willing to so that way no one makes any rash decisions. Harry's children were made this way as well as Blaise's child. Many same-sex couples, though, still choose to adopt or get a surrogate.


End file.
